Akari
by No Guns Only Roses
Summary: Determined to keep his promise to Mikey, Raph tries to bring his family back together again, though he must now deal with the threat of the mysterious new Shredder. Will Raph be able to fulfill his promise? Or will he fail? Sequel to "Mourning". (3rd Place Winner for "Most Compelling AU" in the 2017 TMNT Universal Reader's Choice Awards)
1. Friend or Stalker?

**Cue the Star Wars intro music!**

 **Hello, my fellow fanfic writers and dearest readers! So now we're moving on to "Akari", the sequel to "Mourning!"**

 **So much drama will take place in this story! Raph will train Shadow Jones in the ninja arts, while trying to protect the city of New York from the wrath of the mysterious new Shredder! More importantly, he will try to bring his family back together after 30 years of being torn apart. But it won't be easy. What sacrifices is he willing to make in order to accomplish his goal?**

 **Okay stop the music. Let's get to the story already.**

"I'm sorry...what?"

"I'm willing to train under you as a kunoichi."

Raph stared wide eyed at the teenager sitting next to her. _Is this kid being serious?_ "You...you want me to train you?"

Shadow firmly nodded her head.

Raph looked down at the picture of Mikey in his hands, then back up at her. "This isn't a game, kid," he sternly said. "This is _real._ Now I don't know how many ninja movies you've seen or video games you've played, but..."

"Look, I get it," Shadow interrupted with an annoyed expression on her face. "There will be risks involved, and I'm willing to take them."

"You're only fifteen years old. You're still a kid..."

"Well, so was Mom when she started her training!" Shadow snapped.

"Um, that...that was because..." Raph wasn't sure if Shadow knew about April's past, because, according to what Casey told him, she wasn't even aware of her own origins. Her _true_ origins, anyway. Revealing April's special abilities to her daughter would probably be revealing too much. "Your mom was, uh, _different_ from most people."

"Yeah, I know," Shadow scoffed. "'Cause she had telekinetic powers."

Raph was not expecting _that_ response. "Oh, you...you know about that?"

"Well, yeah, of course I do. She's my mom, after all."

"...right," Raph cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, speaking of whom, does she know about you wanting to be a kunoichi?"

"Uh...no actually."

"Well, if she doesn't approve of this, I won't go against her wishes. The same goes for Casey."

"But if they _did_ approve, would you train me?"

Raph sighed and rubbed his temples. "Maybe. I don't know. Why do you want to be a kunoichi so badly?"

"Like I said before, you need someone to help defeat the Foot. I mean, no offense, but you're..." Shadow rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled nervously. "You know...past your prime."

Raph narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Wait, are you saying that I'm old?"

"You're-you're not _that_ old," Shadow quickly explained. "And I'm not implying that you're weak. You just a little more help now, and you can't take on the Foot by yourself."

Raph rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmmm, you have a point there. But still, we need to talk to your parents first."

Shadow sighed exasperatedly. "Fine. But if they say 'yes', then you'll teach me ninjutsu?"

"We'll see," Raph merely said, but as they walked out of the dojo together, he smirked to himself. _There's no way April and Casey will say "yes"._

* * *

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" April shouted angrily.

Shadow sat in between Raph and Casey on the couch back home, pouting as her mother continued to scold her.

Raph couldn't help but grin. _I knew it._

"You are only fifteen years old!" April crossed her arms. "There's no way I'm letting my daughter risk her life fighting thugs and ninjas!"

"Oh, come on, Mom!" Shadow groaned. "I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"While you're not 'little' anymore, you're still a kid. And the answer is still _no_."

Casey cleared his throat. "Can I have a say in this?"

"Only if you'll agree that this idea is crazy," April told her husband.

"Actually, I think it's a pretty good idea," Casey said with a shrug.

Both April and Raph stared wide eyed at him and their jaws dropped to the floor. " **WHAT?!** " they simultaneously shouted. Shadow looked over to her father both in shock and glee.

"Shadow's a tough girl," Casey explained. "Even the jocks at her school are afraid of her."

Boy, did April cast a nasty glare at her husband. "How could you compare jocks to Foot ninjas?!"

"Yeah, really, Jones?" the one-eyed Turtle joined in. "Those Foot punks would cut her throat in a heartbeat!"

"You're not helping," Shadow mumbled.

"And that's why _you_ need to train her," Casey defended. "I mean, Master Splinter isn't around anymore, and you were his student, so you can pass on his teachings to Shadow."

Raph shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. "I can't do it, Jones. I'm not Master Splinter. If anyone could replace him, it'd be Leo, who, unfortunately, is now a fugitive." He then turned to look at Shadow. "Shadow, look, I promised that I would help you with your temper problem. And I will. But I can't train you to be a kunoichi."

Shadow looked down at the floor crestfallen. "But you can't teach me to control my temper if you're dead," she mumbled.

"My point exactly," Casey said. "Look, I'm her father, and I'm confident that she'll become a great kunoichi. You could _really_ use the help, Raph."

"Casey stop," April silenced him before she knelt down to talk softly to her daughter. "Shadow. Honey, look at me." Shadow slowly lifted her head to meet her mother's eyes. "You needn't worry about Raph. Of the four Turtles, he's always been the strongest. Besides, there are plenty of people out there who want to stop the Shredder, too. He won't be alone in this battle. Trust me."

"But Mom..." Shadow started to retort.

"No 'buts'," April sternly said. "You're not becoming a kunoichi, and that's final. Do I make myself clear?"

Shadow sighed and looked back down at the carpet. "Crystal," she murmured.

"Good. Now why don't you go upstairs while I have a word with Raph and your father?"

The teen did as she was told, leaving April alone with the boys. "Casey," she glared at her husband. "I can't believe you were willing to let our daughter go down such a dangerous path."

"You lack faith in Shadow, that's your problem," Casey argued.

"I'm with April on this one, Jones," Raph said. "I already lost a brother to the Shredder. I'm not about to lose my niece, too."

"Yeah, well, in case you've forgotten," Casey turned to Raph, "Mikey was my friend. And it absolutely crushed me when he died. I'm not ready to lose another friend."

"Even if it means putting your own daughter in danger?"

"She's a very strong person! And on top of that, she's still young! Now imagine if you taught her ninjustu. She'd be a whole lot more competent to take on the Foot than the three of us combined!"

"I seriously doubt that, man."

"You know what?" Casey got off the couch in a huff. "Fine. You want to face the Shredder alone and get killed? Be my guest. Stubborn meathead." He mumbled the last part as he stormed out of the house. They heard the front door slam.

"He's just worried about you, Raph," April gently told the Turtle as she sat down on the couch next to him. "Mikey's death absolutely devastated him. He's afraid of losing another friend."

"I know," Raph quietly said as he leaned back in the couch and closed his heavy eyelid.

* * *

He heard the sirens wail below him as he watched over the city on a rooftop. He also heard the roar of a helicopter's rotating blades above his head. It was another typical patrol for the Ninja Turtle.

But he couldn't get his mind off his brothers and what took place at Splinter's funeral. He had hoped that the tragedy of losing their father would bring them back together, but he was sadly mistaken.

It broke his heart to see how cold and bitter Donnie had become and how truly lost Leo was, and he blamed himself for that. He was too caught up in his own self-pity to see how much his brothers were suffering, and instead of being there for them, he completely abandoned them. For thirty years, he thought only about himself, and Leo and Donnie had to pay the price for his selfishness.

He reached up to touch the Band-Aid over the cut on his left cheek, a lump forming in his throat and a tear building up in his right eye. _I'm a terrible person,_ he thought miserably to himself. _I got what I deserved._

Donnie's voice echoed in his mind, haunting him.

 _You showed me just how much you care when you left me behind in North Hampton._

Leo's voice followed, causing his heart to ache even more.

 _I've spent the last thirty years cleaning up New York while_ you _wasted them playing Tarzan in North Hampton. Not to mention that you completely abandoned Donnie instead of being there for him. And_ now _look what's happened to him._

Within the depths of his mind, the Guilt was starting to grow large again...the dark beast snarling and reaching for him with a clawed hand...

Then he remembered Mikey's words of encouragement. _Hamato Raphael, you are NOT a terrible person. You're the best brother in the world. Sure, you're not perfect, but no one is, especially not me._

The Guilt shrieked and faded away into the darkness.

 _I have faith in you, bro._

Raph smiled to himself, his spirits lifted once again. _That's right,_ he thought. _Mikey believes in me, and I_ won't _let him down._

Suddenly, he heard a distant _whoosh_.

Somebody was spying on him.

He remained still and continued to look over the city, pretending not to have noticed the presence of the intruder. But he place his hands close to the twin sai in his belt, ready to attack if necessary.

He heard rapid footsteps approaching him, then suddenly come to a halt.

"You might as well show yourself," Raph said out loud. "I know you're there."

A woman's voice chuckled. "Very well."

He quickly turned around to face the intruder and pulled out his sai.

Standing in front of him was some kind of red fox mutant. She wore a purple body suit with thigh armor. Around her waist was a white belt with the yin-yang symbol in the center. She also had a long braided ponytail, held together by a purple ribbon. Her piercing golden eyes met his green one and she smirked at him. "You really are a ninja."

Raph raised an invisible eyebrow at the strange fox-woman. "And you are...?"

"My name is Umeko," she politely introduced herself. "But my friends call me 'Ninjara'."

"'Ninjara', huh? So I take it that you're a ninja, too?"

"More or less," she slowly stepped approached, swaggering a bit.

Raph remained on his guard and continued to eye the fox suspiciously. "So who do you work for?"

Ninjara laughed softly. "Nobody. I'm a loner."

"I don't believe you. You must be affiliated with some clan or organization."

She circled him slyly. "I take orders from no one. And something tells me that you are your own boss, as well."

Raph never took his eye off her as she walked around him. "What do you want with me?"

"I just wanted to meet the famous Ninja Turtle that everyone's been raving about this past week." She reached to touch his shell. "They didn't tell me that he'd be so handsome." She delicately brushed her fingers over his carapace, causing his entire body to shiver, his heart to race, and his tail to tingle.

He didn't like the way she was touching him and quickly slapped her hand away. "Cut that out!"

"Ooh, someone's a bit touchy," Ninjara mocked.

"Let's get something straight," he angrily pointed a finger in her face. "I don't even _know_ you, so do _not_ touch me like that again."

"Come on, Ninja Turtle," she whispered seductively, her face leaning close to Raph's. Her black nose nearly touched his beak. "When was the last time you've been with a woman?"

"That's none of your...!" Raph was interrupted by the sound of an alarm bell ringing close by. _Thank God._ "I've got to go. Duty calls. Nice to meet ya," he muttered the last part insincerely.

Ninjara watched as he quickly climbed down the building and dashed across the street to the source of the commotion. She licked her lips the way a predator would whenever it spotted its unsuspecting prey...

* * *

 _"This is an OWL NEWS Alert. A very large spider mutant has just robbed the Liberty Bell bank. The NYPD attempted to subdue the creature, but failed."_

The T.V. screen in April's living room showed a couple of policemen tangled in a huge web, kicking and thrashing like trapped flies. April watched the news with Casey on the couch, and when she turned her head to look at her husband, he had a grim look on his face. She instantly understood what was troubling him and leaned her head on his shoulder, rubbing his arm lovingly.

"Honey, don't worry about Raph," she whispered to him. "He'll be fine."

"Let's hope so," Casey quietly said while wrapping his arm around her.

 _"The suspect is still at large,"_ the anchorman announced. _"For your own safety, please stay indoors."_

Meanwhile, upstairs, Shadow finished putting on her pants, which were black like her long sleeved shirt. She reached for the black ski mask and slid it over her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, here we go," she breathed.

Very quietly she slid the window open and climbed out, stepping onto the roof. _Oh, Mom's gonna kill me for ruining her bushes._ She let go of the window ledge and landed on the bushes below, cushioning her fall. After brushing the leaves and dust off, she got onto her bike that was leaning against the wall and rode away into the night.

 **Okay, soooo...**

 **Shadow is still bent on helping Raph fight crime against her mother's wishes...hoo boy...**

 **Surprise! A character from the Archie comics: Ninjara! What exactly is Ninjara planning? Why is she so interested in Raph? We'll find out eventually...MUAHAHA!**

 **Can you guess who the spider mutant is...? :)**

 **Also, I just found out that my dad is about to go through a MAJOR surgery (I won't go into details for the sake of his privacy). Please keep him in your prayers...**

 **Aaaand next Sunday is a new episode of TMNT! For those of you who have seen the Korean aired episodes, at least we know what happens, right? It'll still hurt to watch though. For those of you who didn't...be prepared. That's all I can say.**

 **Thanks for reading! See you next time!**


	2. Pain 101

**If you guessed Spider-Man, you were correct!**

 **Just kidding! LOL!** **It is Spider Bytez. :)**

A string of web latched itself onto the side of a building, and the ugly and nasty mutant, Spider Bytez, used it to elevate himself to the top. He laughed haughtily as he held out the heavy bags of money in his hands, shaking them a bit to hear the sweet sound of coins jingling.

For years, he had to lie low due to the fear of being killed by the infamous Serpent. But upon hearing the return of the "Ninja Turtle", Bytez figured that the Frog would keep the crazed vigilante in check and therefore make the streets of New York safer for him to roam again...which meant more banks for him to rob.

What he didn't know was that the Ninja Turtle, himself, was watching his every move in the shadows.

"Just a few more banks," Bytez gloated, "and it's on to Beverly Hills!"

"How about jail?"

Bytez multiple eyes all twitched at once the second he heard that familiar voice, before he narrowed them and turned to face his old adversary.

Raph stood at the other side of the rooftop, a cocky smirk on his face and his arms crossed. "Long time, no see, Spider Bytez."

"Well," Bytez growled. "If it ain't my old pal, the Kung Fu Frog. So where are the others?"

"It's just gonna be you and me tonight," Raph said.

"Oh, that's right," the spider chuckled darkly. "You're the only one left. I heard that your little team broke up after what happened to the annoying one."

 _Annoying one._

Raph visibly flinched, which Bytez noticed.

It amused the spider and he continued to taunt. "The Shredder sliced him up like a pizza, right? Was it quick, or slow and painful?"

 _Don't let him get to you,_ Raph mentally told himself. He drew his twin sai out and twirled them. "I see you haven't changed a bit, Bytez: you're still a chatterbox. Do everyone a favor and shut up."

Bytez dropped his money bags and wiggled his long spider legs in a threatening manner. "Make me, Frog."

* * *

"Please, don't hurt me!" The woman begged as the Foot ninja cornered her with a knife.

"Then give me the purse," the masked criminal ordered, gesturing for her to hand over her possessions. "Or you _will_ get hurt."

The woman, fearing her life, obeyed and gave up her purse, which the ninja snatched and immediately ran off, leaving her in the alley. He sprinted down the sidewalk and around the corner of a building...

 _BAM!_

He grunted as he felt someone shove him with full force into the wall. A steel bat was placed under his chin, nearly choking him as more pressure was applied to his neck. The attacker was dressed entirely in black, a ski mask covering his face. Green eyes narrowed as he leaned in close to the ninja's face.

"Hey, Freshman," the attacker said.

The Foot ninja realized that the person was actually a "she" due to the feminine voice.

"The class is Pain 101," the girl continued to speak. "Your instructor is Shadow Jones."

The Foot ninja gripped the bat and struggled against his captor. "Let go of me, b**ch!" he snapped. "You don't know who you're dealing with!"

Hearing that familiar word again made Shadow's blood boil and she began to push the bat even harder against the ninja's neck. "Call me a 'b**ch' one more time and I'm promoting you to Pain 401," she growled.

She heard a loud whirring sound as the ninja suddenly pulled out a strange looking gun with flashing purple lights. Her heart jumped as the barrel was pointed at her face, but luckily she had fast reflexes and knocked the weapon out of his hands.

The criminal took the opportunity to break free and run away. But Shadow wasn't giving up that easily and ran after him.

Several bystanders had their phones out and recorded the chase as they passed by.

* * *

Raph barely dodged another swipe of a spider leg. The two mutants were now facing each off in the streets. He was sweating greatly and it was getting harder for him to catch his breath as the minutes passed. Bytez saw how tired Raph was becoming and smiled wickedly to himself. It was only a matter of time...

"Looking a little flushed there, Frog," he taunted. "Age hasn't been kind to ya."

Raph let out a weak snort. "Who are _you_ to talk to me about age? You were already an old man when we first met. So what are you now, over a hundred?"

Bytez growled and grinded his teeth. "I'll have you know, I'm _ninety-two_!" He spat multiple acid balls at the Ninja Turtle, who dodged every single one of them. But he failed to notice the trash can lying on the street behind him, and as he took a leap backwards, he tripped over the object and landed on his shell.

The spider charged at the Turtle with a roar, ready to gobble him up. Thinking quickly, Raph used the trash can as a barrier between himself and Bytez's massive teeth. As the spider's jaws clamped down on the can, Raph stabbed two of Bytez's multiple eyes with his sai. Bytez screamed in pain and agony as he staggered backwards and covered his bleeding eyes, though the blood had a yellowish color to them instead of red.

Raph stood back on his feet, though his legs were beginning to wobble from fatigue. Deep down, he knew that he was in deep...well, you know. But even so, he still refused to back down and took a defiant step forward, facing the wounded spider mutant.

"Whatsamatter, Bytez?" Raph said in between pants. "Got something in your eye?"

Now beyond ticked, Bytez narrowed his remaining eyes and let out a frightening hiss. "You are so dead," he said in a low threatening voice, before he roared and charged at the Turtle again. The spider legs were now raining down at him with full force. Raph did his best to block and dodge every leg, but his strength was quickly leaving him and his reflexes were getting slower.

Finally, the sharp tip of one of Bytez's legs embedded itself in Raph's right shoulder. The Ninja Turtle let out a cry of pain as he quickly grabbed the leg and pulled it out. Blood poured out of his wound in a stream and flowed down his plastron. Raph gripped his shoulder and was too distracted to see another leg swipe at him. It hit him across the face and sent him falling to the ground. Bytez loomed over him, smiling evilly as he prepared to finish the Frog off...

The sound of a sword slicing through something was heard and Bytez screamed as all of his four long legs fell to the floor. They twitched for a moment before becoming very still. Yellow blood squirted out of his wounds, some droplets landing on Raph's face. Bytez staggered a bit before passing out from the pain and blood loss.

Raph let out a sigh of relief and wiped the liquid off his face. "Thanks, Leo. For a moment I thought... _you_?!"

Ninjara winked at the bewildered Turtle as she sheathed her sword. "You're welcome."

Raph groaned as he struggled to get back on his feet. The fox walked over to him and offered a hand, but he slapped it away and stood back up on his own. "Who asked for your help?" he asked angrily. "I had everything under control!"

Ninjara snorted and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, sure," she sarcastically said. "You had it under control. Face it, handsome, you need a partner."

Raph raised an eyebrow, looking at her skeptically.

She rolled her eyes. "I mean, someone to fight crime with. Of course, if you'd like..." She leaned in close to Raph's face and whispered seductively, "...I could be your 'partner' partner."

Raph abruptly shoved her face away. "Not interested," he grumbled. "I don't need a partner to fight crime with, and I _especially_ don't need a partner to...you know." He then started to walk away from her.

"You're in such denial," she said with a smirk. "You know you need me. Not just want. _Need_."

He looked over his shoulder at her as he continued down the street. "I don't need you, so quit stalking me." He stopped at a manhole, removed the lid, and climbed down into the hole.

* * *

He looked down at the street below him. He was certain that he had lost her and let out a sigh of relief.

After the disguised girl chased him on foot for six blocks, the Foot ninja finally resorted to the rooftops. He didn't think that she was crazy or even capable enough to follow him to the top of a building.

He slung the strap of the stolen purse over shoulder and turned from the ledge.

His face immediately meet the cool steel of a bat. He landed on his back, disoriented and seeing stars.

The Jones girl lazily rested the barrel of the bat on her shoulder and looked down at him, her left hand on her hip. "Missed me?" She reached down and grabbed the purse out of his hand. "I'll take that, thank you."

Once he got his bearings, he realized that he had failed the mission and began to hyperventilate. "No, I...I can't fail...!" He stood back up and gripped the sides of his head in panic. "This was my final test...and I failed!"

"When are you punks gonna learn?" Shadow pointed the bat at him. "The bad guys _always_ lose. So why don't you just quit the Foot and go home, junior?"

The ninja shook his head. "No, you don't understand. You can't just 'quit' the Foot. There is no escape from the Foot. They're always watching me. They've been watching us the entire time."

Shadow glanced around her. She didn't see anybody.

"They know I've failed the test," the ninja continued, "and they're gonna report to Master Shredder. Once he finds out, I'm dead." He then took the mask off, revealing the face of a young man, hopelessness and despair in his eyes. "There's only one way out now," he spoke slowly in a monotone voice, as if he was in some kind of trance.

He walked over to the ledge.

Fear gripped Shadow's heart as she realized what he was intending to do. "Whoa, whoa, hey. Don't do it."

The man ignored her and continued to walk.

"Come on, man, don't do this! Let's-let's talk about this."

He stepped onto the ledge and looked blankly ahead of him.

"Oh, my god, no wait. Don't do it-OHMYGODNO!"

He jumped.

She ran over to the ledge and by the time she looked down, there was a body on the street. People below screamed and someone shouted, "Call 9-1-1!"

Shadow felt her stomach churn and quickly took off her ski mask before she threw up on the floor of the rooftop.

 _Why did I ever think that I could do this?_

After she finally stopped vomiting, she looked up to see two figures staring down at her from the top of a taller building. They wore the same clothing as the now-dead criminal, and once they realized that they had been spotted, they sprinted away into the night.

Shadow had a very bad feeling about this.

* * *

Raph hissed in pain as he finished stitching up his wound.

It was now morning and he sat on the couch in his living room. Chompy sat on the floor and watched him tend to the wound, flinching whenever his master would grunt or cry out. The giant turtle whimpered and gently nudged Raph's hand with his snout. Raph smiled warmly at Chompy and scratched his chin.

"Don't worry, big guy," he softly said. "I'm okay. What do you say we watch the news?" He picked up the remote and pushed the power button.

 _"...the young man committed suicide by jumping off a ten story building."_

Raph looked at the screen annoyed. "Way to start the morning," he mumbled.

 _"Though some police officials suspect that the man was actually pushed off the building. Witnesses claim that another disguised individual was chasing him on foot. We even have a video of the chase last night."_

The video showed a Foot ninja running down a street, a person dressed entirely in black following close behind him.

 _"Get back here, you punk!"_ The mysterious person yelled in the video. _"Face me like a man!"_

Raph squinted his eye as he listened to the voice. It sounded so familiar. Where has he...?

 _Oh, no..._

 **Shadow screwed up big time, huh?**

 **To all who have reviewed my most recent story, "First Word"...THANK YOU SO MUCH! OMG! I was NOT expecting so many favs and reviews!**

 **There's also "Stars and Tears", which takes place after the finale "Owari". If you haven't read it yet, please do so!**

 **To those who were traumatized by the episode "Requiem"...(hugs you) :,(**


	3. Two Options

**So my Dad's surgery went well and he is back home! Thank you for your well wishes and prayers!**

 **Here's chapter three! Enjoy!**

Her mother did NOT take it well. In fact, she became so P.O'd that she nearly destroyed the living room in a telekinetic rage.

Casey had to go shopping for a new T.V the next day.

And Shadow was grounded until college...at least.

In class, she kept her eyes on the blackboard as her science teacher continued to lecture about Newton's laws of motion. But her mind was somewhere else.

She couldn't get the image of the dead Foot soldier out of her mind. Every time she'd close her eyes, she'd see his body lying on the street. She could also see the look of despair on his face moments before he jumped off the building. Needless to say, she couldn't sleep last night, and she absolutely felt like crap.

Someone gently tapped her shoulder and handed her a folded note. Shadow glanced up at the teacher, who had his back turned to the students, before taking the note and unfolding it.

 _you ok?_

She quickly wrote her response on the paper before handing it back to the classmate behind her.

 _yeah im ok_

 _just tired_

The note was passed back to her.

 _why?_

 _what were you doing last night?_

Just as Shadow was about to write another response, the note was snatched out of her hands by the irritated teacher.

"Passing notes, are we, Miss Jones?" he said sternly. "I seriously doubt that the written material here is Newton-related."

Some of the other students began to snicker, and Shadow buried her beet-red face in her arms.

 _God, can this day get any worse?_

* * *

"God, can this day get any worse?" April groaned as she desperately tried to wipe the coffee stain off her skirt with a wet cloth.

Vernon shrugged. "I don't know why you're getting so worked up. You've spilt coffee on you many times before and it always comes out. Plus, the audience is only going to see your pretty face."

April's expression softened as she looked up at the young cameraman. "Sorry, Vernon," she said with a heavy sigh. "I just had a rough night."

"Uh-oh," Vernon mumbled. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain rebellious teenager, would it?"

"Unfortunately, yes," she mumbled.

"What'd she do this time?"

"She snuck out late last night. Into the city, for that matter."

"Well, what was she doing? Hanging out with her girlfriends? Please don't tell me that she was doing drugs."

"No, nothing like that, Vernon. She was..." _She was chasing Foot ninjas, even though we've specifically told her not to._ "...She was taking a stroll in the park. That's all."

Vernon raised an eyebrow but then shrugged. "So what's the verdict?"

"She's grounded. For how long, we're still deciding on that."

* * *

"YOU? Grounded?"

"Yep 'till college," Shadow told her best friend, Sloane Moonpath, who was also the student who sat behind her in science class and passed her the note.

"Man!" Sloane laughed in disbelief. "It must've been serious! What did you do?"

Shadow reached into her locker for her backpack and slammed it shut. "Snuck out of the house last night."

"Why? Was there a Lilith concert last night or something? 'Cause if there was and you didn't tell me, then we're not friends anymore."

Shadow chuckled and playfully nudged the brunette's shoulder. "Don't worry, Sloane. I wouldn't do that to you. I just wanted to, you know, get out of the house for a while."

"Well, you should've called me," Sloane did a pouty face. "We could've had some girl time."

"Trust me, I didn't have any fun last night," Shadow mumbled sadly.

Sloane slung an arm over her friend's shoulder and whispered, "What happened?"

Shadow wanted to tell her everything, but knew that she couldn't. Still, she wanted to tell somebody other than her parents about her traumatizing experience. "Well, you've heard about the Foot ninja who committed suicide, right?"

"The one who jumped off that building last night?" Sloane asked. "Yeah, I've heard. Why?"

"Well..." Shadow rubbed the back of her neck and looked down at the floor, "...I was there."

Sloane's blue eyes became as wide as saucers. "Wait, you were _there_? Oh, my god, you _saw_ him die?"

Shadow only slightly nodded her head and continued to look at the ground. _Yeah, and it was my fault that he jumped._

"Oh, Shadow," Sloane wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine...god, no wonder you look like crap." She pulled away and looked at Shadow sympathetically. "Will you be okay?"

Tears brimmed in Shadow's green eyes. "I dunno," she croaked. "I don't think so."

 _"This isn't a game, kid. This is_ real _."_

 _"No, you don't understand. You can't just 'quit' the Foot. There is no escape from the Foot. There's only one way out now."_

Finally, she couldn't hold her emotions any longer and cried in Sloane's shoulder. "I really f***ed up, Sloane."

Sloane could only hold her friend as she continued to sob.

* * *

"Shadow Jones? That was the name of the vigilante?" Shredder asked the Foot soldiers who had the witnessed the incident.

"Yes, sir," one of them said as he remained in his bow.

"Why does that name sound so familiar...?" Shredder rubbed the bottom of his metallic mask thoughtfully.

Then it clicked.

The last name, Jones. As in Casey Jones, the hockey masked vigilante who was also a friend and ally of the Ninja Turtles. Could it have been possible that this "Shadow Jones" was somehow related to the Jones boy? His offspring, perhaps? "What do you know about this Shadow Jones so far?"

"Our scout has just confirmed that she is a student at Roosevelt High School," the other Foot soldier said. "And she is the daughter of the reporter, April Jones."

Of course. April Jones, formally known as April O'Neil, the half human, half Kraang mutant hybrid. Also an old friend of the Ninja Turtles. It was starting to come together.

"Let the scout continue to watch the Jones girl," Shredder ordered. "He is to report her every move to me." The Foot soldiers bowed low to the ground before exiting the room, leaving their master alone with Tatsu.

"Master Shredder," Tatsu turned to Shredder, "do you believe that this girl could be a potential threat to the Foot?"

"Perhaps," Shredder responded. "Perhaps not. If she truly is the daughter of April O'Neil, then it is possible that she could become a great asset instead."

"'Asset', Master?" Tatsu looked confused.

"Yes. Because of the O'Neils' connection with the Kraang, this girl might be gifted with abilities that could used be used for the benefit of the Foot. If my theory is proven to be incorrect, though, and she turns out to be just another useless weakling...well, you know what we do with garbage, don't you, Tatsu?" he added with a chilling chuckle.

Tatsu smiled cruelly. "Yes, Master."

* * *

"See you later, girl," Sloane gave Shadow one more hug. "Take it easy, okay? And if you ever want to talk, just call me."

"Thanks, Sloane," Shadow murmured before walking across the school yard. In the distance, she could see someone standing under a tree, staring at her. Her heart skipped a beat for a moment. Could it be one of... _them_?

 _"There is no escape from the Foot. They're always watching me. They've been watching us the entire time."_

She considered running in the opposite direction, when the figure stepped from out of the shadow of the tree. She instantly recognized the green face and red mask and rolled her eyes. _Great. Just what I need._

Raph walked over to where she stood, a dour look on his face. "We need to talk, Shadow."

Shadow sighed exasperatedly. "Look, I've already learned my lesson. I don't even _want_ to become a kunoichi, anymore."

"Well, that's too bad," Raph crossed his arms. "'Cause you really don't have a choice now."

Shadow looked at him confused. "Huh?"

* * *

"I didn't push him off the building! He jumped!"

"I know, kid. But the Foot doesn't really care about that."

Raph and Shadow watched the sunset in the horizon, sitting at the edge of a building.

"All they care about is the fact that you've interfered with their work," Raph said solemnly. "And that means you're on their radar now."

Shadow gulped nervously and looked down at her feet dangling over the ledge. "So...you think they're gonna try to kill me?"

Raph shrugged his shoulders. "Hard to say. All I know is that you need to be on your guard from now on. You may even have to learn how to defend yourself in case they should indeed try to kill you. And I can tell you with certainty that taking karate classes won't help you." He turned to look at her with his one emerald green eye. "You need to learn ninjutsu and become a kunoichi."

"But..." Shadow choked and hugged herself. "But I don't know if I can! I mean, after what happened to that guy last night...!"

"You're not the only one who watched someone fall to their death, you know," Raph mumbled.

The teenager looked at the Turtle in shock. "Wait, you mean you...?"

Raph closed his eye as he remembered the Triceraton Zog. "Yeah."

Shadow looked back down at streets below her and let out a shaky sigh. "Still, I don't know about this. I thought I was strong enough, but...well, I guess I'm not."

"It was a major wake up call for you, kid," Raph told her gently. "And I'm sorry that you had to see that. But the fact is you've gotten yourself into something that you can't walk away from. You need to make a decision _now_ if you want to survive."

Shadow fiddled with a strand of her hair for a moment before lifting her eyes to his face. "So what are my options?"

"You've got two," Raph stared back at the sunset, his eye reflecting its light. "The first option is that you leave the city, maybe even the state, as soon as possible, which means that your parents will have to find new jobs."

"So we'd have to start a new life somewhere else?" Shadow asked.

"Yep."

"Well, that option sucks. What's the second one?"

Raph turned to her and smirked. "What do you think the second option is?"

Shadow nodded and looked away, biting her lower lip.

"It won't be an easy life, kid," Raph softly said with a sad smile. "You'll make more enemies than you will friends. And you're gonna have to make difficult decisions. And I mean _really_ difficult decisions. But I will promise you this..."

He gently put a hand on her shoulder, and for the first time in her life, Shadow didn't flinch away from a mutant's touch.

"...You won't be alone in this, Shadow. I'll be there to guide you every step of the way. And as long as you stick with me, I won't let anybody hurt you. Not even the Shredder, himself."

Shadow looked into his one eye and could see that he meant what he said, that he would keep her safe no matter what.

He smiled warmly at her before standing up. "You have until tomorrow morning to think it over." He started to walk to the other side of the building when he heard her shout to him.

"Hey!"

He stopped to turn and look at her.

"You...you really think I can do it?" she asked him.

Raph smirked and nodded his head. "I do. And not just because you're April and Casey's kid."

She watched as he jumped off the rooftop onto the next until he completely disappeared out of her sight, then turned back to the horizon before her.

Shadow Jones was someone who never ran away from a fight and took the easy way out. But at the same time, she had never had to face deadly ninjas and mutants. Only jocks and wimpy boys who had dared to insult her and her family. Before, she truly believed that she was ready to lead the life of a kunoichi like her mother before her. But after seeing that Foot ninja take his own life in fear of admitting his failure to his master, she realized that this wasn't going to be like high school at all.

And to think that her mother once said that it couldn't be "any worse than high school".

But now she had to make a crucial decision: to either leave New York forever and let Raphael face the Foot alone, or to help him defeat the notorious clan and save the city.

 _"I just waited until you got off school to meet with you. Because I want to get to know you more. We_ are _family, aren't we?"_

 _"It'll take time and patience, but I can teach you how to control your anger."_

 _"You won't be alone in this, Shadow. I'll be there to guide you every step of the way. And as long as you stick with me, I won't let anybody hurt you. Not even the Shredder, himself."_

She felt sickened at the idea of abandoning Raph, but she wasn't sure if she was worthy enough to be his student. She wasn't her mom, after all. But for some reason, Raph believed in her. He saw something in her that even she, herself, couldn't see.

And she would trust in him.

 **I wrote this while listening to the MIB movie soundtrack, specifically to "J Contemplates."**

 **So it looks like Shadow is going to train under Raph as a kunoichi. Like what Raph told her, it won't be an easy path. Will she make it?**

 **I've failed to mention this before, but Harold Lillja from chapter 15 of "Mourning" is a character from the IDW comics. Also, Sloane is an actual character from the Mirage comics.**


	4. Growing Up So Fast

**Japan**

"...so I should be back home in a couple of days," Karai sat on a bench in the park while speaking to Raph on her phone.

 _That's good news. Chompy is going crazy over your absence. He's already torn up the couch pillows. I think my bed is next._

Karai giggled. "Well, glad to hear that someone down there misses me. How are things at your end?"

 _Peachy,_ Raph's voice had an exasperated tone in it.

"Oh, boy. That doesn't sound sincere. What happened?"

She heard him sigh heavily. _Well_ , _Shadow tried to take down a Foot ninja a couple of nights ago._

At that moment, Karai's brown eyes went as wide as saucers. "You're kidding," she softly said in disbelief.

 _'Fraid not. And what's worse is that they saw her face and even know her name._

"She's not safe in New York anymore," Karai said frantically.

 _Yeah, I know._

"You need to convince April and Casey to move to a new location as soon as possible, Raph."

 _Well, I did consider doing that, but there's another option: she could become a kunoichi and learn how to defend herself._

"...You can't be serious."

 _I've already talked to her about it, and she has agreed to do it. And I know that Casey will be all right with it. All I need to do now is convince April, which_ won't _be easy._

"You really _are_ serious."

 _The kid's got guts, Karai. And she's tough, like her mother._

"That won't be enough!" Karai shouted, earning the looks of the pedestrians that were close by. She blushed in embarrassment and lowered her voice. "This is the Foot we're talking about! These are professionally trained assassins!"

 _And that's why I'm going to train her. I'm going to make her better than all of them put together._

Karai let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed her face with her hand. "This is crazy."

 _Look, Karai, do you trust me?_

She didn't know how to respond to that, but Raph continued on anyway.

 _I know Shadow can do it. I just know it._

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure if April feels..." She then noticed a familiar face approaching the bench. "I-I'm sorry, Raph, but I have to go. We'll talk about this later. Bye." She quickly hung up and got off the bench as the person got closer.

A woman with long black hair and in a black gothic Victorian dress approached her. She wore purple eyeliner and lipstick, and her eyes were a rich golden color. In her arms was a black cat.

Karai expected the lady to recognize her immediately and stop walking, but she completely ignored and passed by her. Karai was a bit confused by this lack of reaction, but she rationalized that perhaps the woman didn't recognize her.

It has been thirty years, after all.

Karai called out the woman's name. "Shini?"

The goth stopped dead in her tracks and turned her head. Her surprised expression slowly morphed into one of contempt.

"Karai," Shinigami greeted her in a rather dry tone.

"Um," Karai rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Shinigami merely grunted in agreement and nodded.

"S-so how have you've been?"

"Fine. And you?"

"Good." _Aw, geez, this is awkward._

"What are you doing back in Japan?" Shinigami stroked her black cat, which purred in contentment. "I thought you had decided to stay in America with your father?"

Karai's eyes filled with sadness at the mention of her father and she lowered them to the ground. "Father is dead," she said softly. "I came back with his ashes so that I might bury him next to my mother."

"Oh," Shinigami said with little sympathy in her voice. "I see."

Karai looked back up at her ex-best friend and let out a disheartened sigh. "Are you still angry with me about not coming back with you?" Shini didn't answer her and simply continued to stroke her cat. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Shini. But you have to understand, Father lost a son to..."

"I know," Shini snapped. "Splinter was forced to sacrifice Michelangelo in order to save everyone else, so he was heartbroken and you wanted to be there for him. I get that."

"Then why are you so upset?" Karai desperately asked.

"You could've convinced Splinter to come back to Japan. After all, he had no reason to stay in America anymore."

"Maybe he refused to leave New York," Karai defended, "because it was where Mikey and his brothers were born. And if you really wanted to be with me, you could've stayed, too."

Shini's eyes narrowed and a scowl was on her face. "Back then, I would've followed you to the ends of the earth, but you weren't willing to do the same for me. On that day, I realized just how little I truly mattered to you."

"Shini, that's not..."

"I'm late for my date," Shini abruptly interrupted her. "Enjoy the rest of your stay here, _senpai_ ," she said the last word as though it had a unpleasant taste on her tongue and started to walk away.

"Shini, wait!" Karai cried. "I need to ask you something!"

Shini sighed in annoyance and turned to face her once again. "You've got one more minute."

"There's a new Foot Clan in New York," Karai explained in a hushed tone. "I don't know who their leader is, but he's just as dangerous as Oroku Saki was, if not more. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Shini seemed genuinely surprised at the announcement of a new Foot Clan. "No, I wasn't even aware of that. After you sent us back to Japan, I left the Foot Clan business behind. I work as a psychic therapist now."

"I see," Karai softly said. "Well, thank you, Shini. You know, for everything. And again, I'm so sorry for hurting you." She gave her old friend one last sad smile before walking away. Shini sadly watched her leave for a moment before heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

 **New York**

"Everyone, we have a new student joining us today," Mrs. Keller, the homeroom teacher announced to the class. "Please welcome Daniel Pennington."

A boy with curly brown hair and light blue eyes walked into the classroom and stood in front of the blackboard. He gave everyone a friendly smile. "'Sup? My name's Daniel, but only my mother calls me 'Daniel'."

The whole class chuckled at this, including Shadow.

"My friends call me 'Danny'. My Dad, Charles Pennington, works at the T.V station Channel Six News."

"Really?" Mrs. Keller then pointed to Shadow, who was sitting a few rows away. "Well, miss Shadow here is also related to someone who works for Channel Six. Her mother is April Jones, the reporter."

Danny looked directly at Shadow and smiled at her. "Really? That's cool."

Although she wasn't too fond of boys due to her constant struggle with the bullies, Shadow felt...butterflies in her stomach as she looked into his blue eyes and studied every feature on his face, from his Greek nose to his round chin...

Shadow snapped back to reality.

 _God! What is wrong with me?!_

"Please take a seat, Daniel...er, I mean, Danny," Mrs. Keller gestured toward the empty desk...right next to Shadow.

 _Oh, crap!_

Danny sat down and looked at Shadow, greeting her with a nod. A blush appeared on Shadow's cheeks and she smiled shyly at him. She felt someone nudge her from behind and turned to see Sloane giving her a teasing smile. Shadow glared at her and mouthed, "shut up."

* * *

"See you later, Sloane!" Shadow waved goodbye to her best friend and started to walk across the school yard.

"Shadow! Wait up!"

The teen immediately stopped at the sound of the familiar voice and her heart began to pound wildly. Slowly, she turned to face Danny, who was running to catch up to her. "Hi," she squeaked, before clearing her throat and repeating the word in a normal voice. She mentally slapped herself for the pathetic squeak noise she made and could just imagine her face becoming as red as apples.

"Hey," Danny smiled at her in a friendly way. "So, uh, your mom's April Jones the reporter?"

"Uh-huh," Shadow tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled weakly at him.

"So what's it like, having a celebrity for a mom?"

"Well, it...you know, has it perks and downsides."

"Really? What kind of downsides, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Um," she awkwardly scratched her nose, "people tend to get jealous of you. A lot of the kids here think that I'm this snooty rich girl who thinks she's better than everyone else."

"Are you rich?" Danny asked with an amused smile on his face.

Shadow chuckled. "No, not really. I mean, I guess we're more privileged than others but..." She was interrupted by the _ding_ nose made by her phone. "Sorry, excuse me for a sec." She pulled her phone out of her pocket, and the message on her screen read:

 **HAMATO RAPHAEL: just talked to your parents. the meeting will be in the lair at 4. don't be late k?**

 _Oh, that's right..._

At that moment, Shadow realized that she didn't have time for boys and sighed sadly. "I have to go," she told Danny with a crestfallen expression on her face. "Urgent matters at home."

"Oh, okay," Danny said, seemingly disappointed that their conversation had been abruptly ended. "Well, it was nice meeting you." He politely offered a hand for her to shake and smirked. "See you tomorrow in class?"

She nervously reached for his hand and shook it. _Don't sweat, don't sweat, don't sweat._ "Yeah, see you tomorrow," she smiled at him shyly before darting off.

 _Oh, god, my hand_ was _sweating. Stupid!_

* * *

"Thanks for coming, guys."

Raph stood in front of April and Casey, who were sitting on the couch in the lair. Shadow sat on the beanie bag, nervously glancing at Chompy every now and then. The giant space turtle stared at her from the other side of the living room, his tongue sticking out and his tail wagging.

"Sure thing, pal," Casey said. "So what's this meeting about?"

"Well," Raph cleared his throat, "I've called you here because we have a new problem: the Foot Clan knows the identity of the person who chased down one of their guys."

April's face lost it color and she worriedly looked over at her daughter. Shadow merely shrugged and looked away in shame.

"Are...are you sure about that, Raph?" April asked her friend, trying to deny the reality of the situation.

"They saw her face," Raph said. "And she even told that Foot ninja her name. They'll be keeping an eye on her from now on."

Fear and despair gripped April's heart and she buried her face in her hands. Casey scooted closer to his wife and soothingly rubbed her back.

"I was afraid this would happen," April said in a muffled and choked up voice.

"Red, it's going to be okay," Casey spoke softly to her.

"How, Casey?" April didn't look up and continued to cry silently. "How is it going to be okay?"

"Mom?"

April finally lifted her face and looked at her daughter with tear-filled blue eyes.

"I know I screwed up big time," Shadow said. "But I'm willing to deal with the mess that I've made. And Raphael is going to help me."

Her mother looked immediately to the Ninja Turtle for an explanation.

"Shadow is going to train under me as a kunoichi," Raph said.

Both April and Casey looked at their friend in absolute shock.

"WHA..." April couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You, too?! Now _you're_ encouraging her to...ugh, I can-NOT believe this!" She gripped the sides of her head in a frustrated manner.

"It's not like she has a choice, April," Raph calmly explained.

"Raph's right, honey," Casey agreed.

"NO!" April stood up and angrily pointed a finger at Raph. "I'm her mother, okay?! And I REFUSE to let her go and risk her life fighting a bunch of...!"

"April!" Raph roughly grabbed her by the shoulders, though he didn't hurt her. April stood still and stopped her ranting, staring at him with wide eyes. It was so quiet in the room, not even Chompy was making his usual grunting or panting sounds. "April..." Raph spoke in a softer tone and loosened his grip on April, "look, I get it. You're scared for your daughter, and you have every right to be. But the fact is, you can't protect her forever. She's going to have to learn how to defend herself, especially now."

April started to retort. "But...!"

"I promise," he gently placed his hands on her cheeks and smiled at her reassuringly, "I won't let anything happen to her. And if she's anything like her mom, then she'll be just fine."

"Listen to him, April," Casey got off the couch and stood next to her. "Our daughter's a strong person, both physically and mentally. She'll be a great kunoichi, like her mother before her."

"I can do this, Mom," Shadow joined the group. "Please believe in me."

April felt conflicted. Shadow was her baby, her precious gem. She'd be in danger if she was allowed to go fight the Foot with Raph. But she'd be in even more danger if she didn't learn ninjustu and fight back. If anything happened to her, April would've failed as a mother, and she could never live with herself.

She approached her daughter and stroked her cheek. "Baby," she choked. "I _do_ believe in you. It's just...you're my daughter, and I'd be devastated if you got hurt...or worse. I don't want to lose you, Shadow."

Shadow wrapped her arms around April in a hug and rested her cheek on her shoulder. "I know, Mom. But you won't lose me."

April bit her lower lip and returned the hug, finally letting the tears flow down her cheeks. "You're growing up so fast," she whispered.

"Yeah, and I don't plan on slowing down anytime soon," Shadow joked.

April could only laugh tearfully and held her daughter closer. Casey walked over to the pair and playfully ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Good," Casey chuckled. "Don't stop."

Raph watched fondly as Shadow gripped Casey's sleeve and pulled him into the hug. The touching scene reminded him of the group hugs that he shared with his father and brothers. The memories both warmed and pricked his heart.

He cleared his throat to get their attention. "Well, I guess that settles it." He looked directly at Shadow and smirked in a cocky manner. "Your training begins tomorrow. If you think gym class is tough, then you'll _really_ feel the burn in _my_ class."

Shadow only scoffed and a cocky smile formed on her own lips. "Bring it on, _Sensei_."

 **So Shadow's on her way to becoming a kunoichi! YAY!**

 **Another character from the 1990 movie, Danny Pennington! Seems that Shadow has a crush on him... ;) But is that a good thing...? 0.0**


	5. The Dog Brought Me My Homework

" _Phew_...hey, Raph, can we take five?" Shadow wiped some sweat off her forehead. She and Raph had been practicing in the dojo for nearly half an hour. The training began as soon as she returned from school. The Turtle promised April that they would be done before dinner, and of course Shadow would have to take a shower immediately after her training was over so that she wouldn't smell like gym socks at the table.

"You're kidding, right?" Raph snorted. "We've barely even begun!"

Shadow flinched as her legs throbbed in pain and she tried to catch her breath. "Please? I really need a break."

Raph rolled his eyes and walked over to the cooler full of water bottles. "All right, five minutes."

Shadow let out a sigh of relief and immediately collapsed on the floor, landing on her bum.

Her Sensei shook his head and handed her a bottle. "Geez, you act like a fat kid on her first day at the gym."

Shadow gulped down her water and wiped her face with a towel. "If I were fat, I'd be dead by now," she mumbled. "Are you trying to teach me or kill me?"

"Hey, I warned you that this training would be intense," Raph took a seat next to her on the floor. "You're not thinking of backing out now, are you?" he added with a teasing smirk.

"Yeah, right," Shadow scoffed. "You won't be rid of me that easily." She lifted her bottle to drink again when she noticed Chompy peeking at her from behind the slightly opened door. The space turtle smiled and cooed at her, but Shadow only stared back at him nervously and slowly lowered her bottle.

Raph chuckled as he got off the floor and walked to the entrance, opening the door all the way and scratchinh Chompy under his chin. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he gently told Shadow. "I know Chompy looks a little imitating, but he's actually pretty harmless. Think of him as a...giant pug with spikes all over his body."

"You forgot the part about him breathing fire," Shadow gulped.

"So he makes sparks instead of drool," Raph said with a shrug. "He's still a very sweet turtle. Aren't you, buddy? Yes, you are!" Raph started to scratch Chompy even harder, causing the giant turtle to purr loudly and stick his tongue out with a dreamy expression of his face.

Shadow couldn't help but giggle at the scene before her. _Wow, he really_ is _like a pooch...even though he purrs like a cat._

Raph turned to look at Shadow and gestured for her to come over. "You wanna pet him? He won't bite."

"Um, maybe later."

"Okay," Raph gently pushed Chompy away. "Go back into the living room, buddy." Once Chompy was gone, Raph cracked his knuckles and faced Shadow once again. "All right, break time's over! Let's get back to training!"

Shadow groaned in response. _If the Foot doesn't kill me, this guy will._

* * *

While Shadow was in the shower and Raph was in the dojo mediating, Chompy sniffed through Shadow's backpack, and with his jaws he pulled out a folder with the words "English" written on it...

* * *

"See you tomorrow, kid," Raph said as the two walked toward the exit. "And don't forget: it's only going to get more intense as we get farther along."

"Yeah, looking forward to it," Shadow mumbled. "Night, Raph."

The Ninja Turtle watched as the teen disappeared into the tunnels, when he heard a sorrowful moaning sound from behind him. He turned to see Chompy staring after the girl with sad eyes. "Aw, don't worry, big guy," Raph patted him comfortingly on his head. "She'll be back tomorrow. Come on, it's dinner time. I'll even make your favorite: coal and bacon."

Chompy let out a squeal of delight at the announcement and pounced on his master, knocking him to the ground.

* * *

The next morning, Chompy awoke to sound of Raph making coffee in the kitchen, and his nose was immediately met with the familiar scent of the blonde girl. Tucked under his chin was the folder he had taken out of Shadow's backpack the other day. Although he wanted to keep the folder to himself because it smelled of her, he realized that Shadow would probably miss it and decided to return it to her.

Raph, who was never much of a morning person, plopped down on the couch and sipped some coffee before turning on the T.V. Chompy stomped over to him and tried to get his attention by nudging his hand with his snout.

"Not now, Chompy," Raph grumbled, his tired eye still glued to the screen. "Just got up."

Chompy whimpered and continued to nudge Raph.

"Not now, Chompy," Raph repeated with annoyance in his voice.

The giant turtle gave up and decided to search for the teen himself. He gently picked up the folder with his mouth and headed for the tunnels. Thankfully, Chompy Picasso had a very strong nose, and using the folder as a reference, he followed her scent to the surface...

* * *

"All right, let's get started on the poems," Mrs. Raindrop, the English teacher, announced to the class. "I hope you all remembered to bring your reports today. Miss Jones, you'll go first."

Shadow, who was still sore and tired from yesterday's training, rubbed her eyes and stretched herself before picking up her backpack and walking to the front of the room. "My report," she yawned, "is on Edgar Allen Poe's _Annabel Lee_. So, um..." she reached into her bag but couldn't find her English folder. _Holy, crap. Please don't tell me that I forgot my report._

"Miss Jones?" Mrs. Raindrop impatiently tapped her fingers on her desk.

"Um," Shadow nervously looked up at the teacher, "well, I, uh...I seem to have..." She trailed off as she spotted something familiar outside the classroom window.

Chompy was standing on the front lawn, her English folder in his mouth!

"Oh, my god...!" She whispered.

"Excuse me?" the teacher raised an eyebrow.

"I-I-I, uh," Shadow stammered, her brow sweating. "I just remembered where my report is! I left it in my locker! Can I please go get it?"

Mrs. Raindrop had an annoyed expression on her face and she crossed her arms.

Shadow immediately got the message. "Oh, I-I mean, _may_ I please go get my report?"

"Yes, you may," Mrs. Raindrop sighed. "But next time, you're getting a 0 for failing to bring your homework before..."

"Yeah, okay!" Shadow ran out of the classroom before the teacher could finish. She reached the lawn but couldn't find Chompy anywhere. _Okay, don't panic. Don't panic. He's a hippo-sized space turtle. He shouldn't be too hard to find._ She then heard the sound of the back doors being pushed, no, more like rammed open. _Gotcha._

She ran to the back of the school and saw that the windows on the doors had been shattered, shards of glass lying on the pavement. "Aw, s**t!" she quietly cursed to herself before rushing into the building. As she passed by the gym, she heard balls bouncing the floor, and she had the sneaky suspicion that a certain turtle was in there. Sure enough, when she pushed the doors open, she saw Chompy chasing and playing with the rolling basketballs the same way a kitten does with a ball of yarn.

"Chompy!" Shadow ran to Chompy, whose tail wagged wildly as he saw her approach him. She then noticed her folder on the floor and picked it up. "Eeugh!" Shadow stuck out her tongue in disgust as she felt how damp it was with Chompy's drool. "Well, it's better than nothing." She tucked the folder into her coat pocket and looked at the turtle, who continued to wag his tail happily. "You...came all this way just to give me back my homework?"

Chompy barked and gently nudged her hand with his nose, and this time, Shadow didn't flinch away. She smiled gratefully at him and scratched his head. "Seriously, you're the best dog ever," she chuckled. "Uh, I mean, turtle."

She then heard footsteps approaching the gym.

"Oh, crap!" she pushed Chompy toward the stage. "Quick! In here!" The two hid behind the curtains as someone walked into the room.

The gym teacher was shocked at the sight of the basketballs scattered all over the floor. "Darn kids," he grumbled as he inspected the damage. "Always makin' a mess in my gym."

Shadow peeked through the curtains and tried to think of a way to get Chompy out of the school unnoticed. She pulled out her phone and quickly texted Raph. A loud crashing sound made her jump and she turned to see that Chompy had knocked over the drum set. The gym teacher heard it too and started to walk toward the source of the commotion.

 _Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!_

Shadow frantically looked around for a way to escape. She then noticed the fire alarm on the wall. "Do I have a choice?" she muttered as she pulled the lever, activating the alarm system. The bells echoed down the halls and immediately all of the teachers, students and staff members evacuated the school building.

Once she knew that the coast was clear, Shadow guided Chompy out of the gym and toward the cafeteria.

* * *

"Chompy! Breakfast!"

Raph called for his pet in the kitchen, but the giant turtle never responded or appeared. As he scratched his head in confusion, he heard a _ding_ nose and immediately pulled out his T-phone. As soon as he finished reading the message, his eye widened.

"Uh-oh..."

* * *

"Okay, we'll just wait in here until...CHOMPY, NO!" Shadow yelled as Chompy began to drink out of a large container of chicken soup. She tried to pull him away but Chompy stubbornly held onto the container with his jaws. "Chompy, come on! Let-!"

She tumbled backwards, dragging Chompy and the container down with her. Soup soaked her hair and clothes, and Chompy purred in contentment as he licked the floor. "Great," Shadow grumbled as she wiped her face with her hand. "Can this day get any worse?"

"Finally, we have the building all to ourselves."

She heard that voice before, but where...? Peeking from behind the kitchen door, she saw senior student Ricky Star embracing his girlfriend and leaning in to kiss her.

Shadow rolled her eyes. _Of course Ricky would make out with Molly during a fire drill. So how do we get out of here now? Wait, that's it._

She grabbed a couple of pans and stared banging them against each other. The loud noises alerted the young couple that somebody was in the cafeteria with them and ran off. Shadow let out a sigh of relief when she heard a _ding_ sound. A text message appeared on the screen of her phone and read:

 **HAMATO RAPHAEL: where are you?**

Shadow texted back:

 **in the cafeteria**

Raph texted back:

 **ok meet me at the playground**

Shadow groaned in exasperation. _Here we go again._

* * *

The whole thing felt like _Mission Impossible._ In fact, the only thing missing was the theme music.

Shadow and Chompy tiptoed down the halls, peeking around every corner until they at last reached the exit leading to the playground. No one was in sight.

"Okay, where to hide you?" Shadow mumbled as she looked around. Chompy noticed the dome climber and ran to it. "Chompy, wait! Where are you-?!" Her jaw dropped as he started to dig his way under the bars. Dirt flew everywhere as he crawled through and snuggled himself into the dome. Shadow clamped a hand over her mouth as she stifled her laughter. "Chompy," she giggled, "I can still see you, silly."

"Yes, I can still see him, too," someone chuckled from behind.

Shadow whipped her head around to find a pale, thin man in a black suit standing behind her. She could not see his eyes due to the dark sunglasses, and he looked like a character from the movie _Men In Black._

Her cover was blown and she stated to panic. "This-this isn't what it-it looks like!" Shadow stammered as she tried to explain the situation to this stranger. "It's just my dog in a...in a turtle suit! Honest!"

The man smirked and raised his hand to silence her. "Relax. I am already aware of Chompy Picasso's existence." He offered her a hand to shake. "Hello, Shadow Jones. You certainly have grown since I last saw you."

Shadow didn't take the man's hand and only stared at him suspiciously. "How do you know who I am?"

The man raised an eyebrow at this. "Your mother did not tell you about me?"

"Shadow!"

The teen looked over the stranger's shoulder and saw Raph running toward them. He came to a halt when he saw the man and pulled out his twin sai.

"Who are you?!" Raph demanded. "Kraang or Utrom?!"

"Hello, Raphael," the man greeted the Ninja Turtle. "It has been a long time."

Raph's eye widened and he lowered his weapons as he recognized that voice. "Bishop? Is that you?"

"Bishop?" Shadow scratched her head. "You know this guy?"

Raph shoved his sai back into his belt. "It's okay, Shadow. He's an old friend." He shook the Utrom-droid's hand and gave him a friendly smile. "How have you been, man?"

"Well, thank you," Bishop said. "And how have you been?"

Raph shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I guess."

The man looked at Raph sympathetically and put a comforting hand on the reptile's shoulder. "I know that it is thirty years too late, but I give you my deepest condolences. I heard about what happened to Michelangelo."

Raph looked down at the grass sadly. "Yeah, and I'm guessing you know about Splinter, too?"

"Yes. I am so sorry, Raphael."

"Yeah, well," Raph looked up at Bishop with a sad smile, "thanks for your condolences. So what are you doing here?"

"I came here to check on Shadow," Bishop said as he gestured to the teen.

"Me?" Shadow pointed to her herself. "Why me?"

"The Utroms have been concerned about your safety ever since this new Shredder learned of your existence," he told her. "So they have assigned me to watch over you."

"Don't worry," Raph chuckled. "Pretty soon, Shadow won't need a babysitter, 'cause I'm teaching her how to be a kunoichi."

"Is that so?" Bishop smirked. "Well, we will still keep an eye on her, and we will do everything we can to protect her from the Shredder."

"Tell the Utroms 'thanks' for me," Raph shook Bishop's hand once again.

"Will do," Bishop said with a nod before turning to Shadow. "Take care of yourself, Shadow. Listen to what Raphael tells you. And stay close to him."

"Um, okay," Shadow smiled weakly at him.

Bishop then pulled some kind of device from out of his pocket, and once he pressed a button, a huge triangle-shaped dimensional portal opened before them. Bishop stepped into the purple light and disappeared, the portal closing immediately after that.

Shadow stared at the spot where Bishop disappeared before turning to Raph for explanations.

"That was portal leading to Dimension X," Raph said with a shrug. "Weird alien stuff."

"Yeah, I already know about Dimension X," Shadow snapped. "Mom told me all about the Kraang. But who are the Utroms? Why didn't she tell me about them?"

"Um," Raph awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "that's something you're gonna have to discuss with your mom. Right now, I need to get Chompy back home." He whistled for Chompy to come, and the giant turtle smashed through the bars to get to his master, completely demolishing the dome.

"Oh, fantastic," Shadow face-palmed as she looked at the mess Chompy had made. "He just about destroyed the entire school."

"Aren't you over-exaggerating a bit?" Raph chuckled as he scratched Chompy's shell. "The school's still standing, isn't it?"

Shadow only shot him a "seriously?" look.

Raph cleared his throat. "Sorry. How about you take the day off from training, and we'll resume tomorrow?"

"Actually," Shadow knelt down to pet Chompy, "I'd still like to come to the lair to hang out with Chompy."

Raph was surprised by this. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, he did save me from getting an "F". I owe him big time."

Chompy was so happy to hear about this that he started to lick Shadow's face like crazy.

"Ick! Chompy!" Shadow giggled. "Cut it out!"

Raph smiled as he watched Shadow wrap her arms around Chompy's neck. Yesterday, this girl was too afraid to even go near the space turtle. Now it seemed that Chompy had just made a new best friend.

"Okay," Raph said. "But do me a favor and take a shower first. You smell like chicken soup or something."

 **So Shadow now knows about Bishop and the Utroms. I love 2012 Bishop. He's one of my favorite characters.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this comical chapter!**


	6. Family Meeting

**Okay, so I regret the whole April Fool's chapter. I apologize to Guest who felt sickened by it, and to everyone else who didn't like my joke. I intended to poke fun at Tcest, but I realized that what I did was too much. Anyway, here's the _real_ chapter.**

The Serpent waited for the opportunity to strike.

Hidden in the shadows, he watched as the car turned into the alley. Police patrol cars sped past it on the street, and a scruffy looking man wearing black clothing looked out the window with a delighted smile on his face. He stepped out of the vehicle and opened the trunk, pulling out a large, heavy looking bag.

Leo slowly reached for the swords behind his shell and his lips curved into a predatory grin. He took a step forward...

 _Ka-click._

He stiffened at the sound of a gun cocking inches from his head.

"Stay where you are."

Leo slowly turned his head to get a look at the person who had dared to point a gun at him. Two familiar robotic eyes looked into his normal ones.

"Donnie?"

The cyborg Turtle only continued to glare at the vigilante. The gun that had been built in his arm continued to make a low humming sound.

"Donnie, what...?" Leo slowly turned around to face his brother, his hands raised up.

"We'll take it from here," he pointed at the other end of the alley. Leo looked back and saw a few MetalCops dragging the thief into the street and toward the police. Within minutes, he was cuffed and shoved into the back of a patrol car.

"You see?" Donnie said, still pointing his gun at Leo's head. "There was no bloodshed needed. But you just can't help but kill people, can you?"

 _Ouch._

Leo closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "What do you want, Donnie?"

"We need to talk. Now."

"Now? You mean, right here, right now?"

"Not here. We'll talk somewhere more private."

* * *

"Come on, Mikey. Why won't you talk to me?"

Raph knelt in front of his brother and father's newly built shine in the dojo. Placed on top of a high shelf were pictures of Mikey and Splinter, the bowl which contained the remnants of Mikey's mask, and Splinter's old kimono they was nearly folded.

The Ninja Turtle was still having trouble connecting with his youngest brother's spirit, no matter how hard he meditated. And he desperately needed a conversation with Mikey, especially after what happened at Splinter's funeral weeks ago. He'd give anything to see Mikey's kind face or hear his comforting voice again.

Raph buried his head in his hands, feeling tired and forlorn. "Please, Mikey? Father? Anybody?"

He was again met with silence. But just as he was about to give up and leave the dojo, he felt someone gently touch him on the shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late, bro."

Raph jumped and he whipped his head around. His one green eye widened at the sight of his little brother standing before him. "Mikey...?" he whispered.

Mikey grinned widely and offered him a hand. Raph hesitantly took it, and to his surprise, it felt _real_. Real, as though Mikey was really there in the dojo with him. But it couldn't be...could it?

"Am I...dreaming right now?" Raph asked as he stood up. "Or am I actually feeling your hand?"

"I know," Mikey chuckled. "Freaky, right?"

"But how...?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," Mikey scratched his chin before looking over Raph's shoulder. "Sensei, could you help me out here?"

"Sensei?"

He heard a familiar chuckle from behind him and quickly turned to see his father, young and healthy again. Raph stared wide-eyed at the rat before slapping himself in the face. "Wake up, Raphael," he muttered to himself. "Wake up."

"You are not dreaming, my son," Splinter said with a gentle smile, placing a hand on Raph's shoulder. "We are, indeed, real. Your brother and I have attained a higher spiritual plane of existence. For a long time, Michelangelo could only communicate with you through the mental realm."

"The mental realm?" Raph narrowed his eye in confusion, but then he quickly understood. "Oh, right! In my mind during meditation!"

"But thanks to Master Splinter's training," Mikey happily said, "I've learned how to become one with Nature! Now I can actually _touch_ you in the physical world!" Mikey grabbed his brother in a hug and snuggled against his plastron. "Isn't that great?"

Raph chuckled as he returned the hug, his heart swelling with joy. "It's awesome, Little Brother." He then turned to smile at the spirit of Splinter. "I'm so happy to see you, too, Father." Splinter hummed in agreement and walked over to the two, wrapping his arms around them.

Raph felt so happy being in the presence of his brother and father that tears welled up in his right eye. For a moment, it felt like the good old days.

* * *

"Don't you ever wish that things would go back to the way things were? You know, before Mikey died?" Leo fiddled with one of Donnie's empty coffee cups in the lab.

"We can't keep looking back at the past," Donnie gruffly said as he took another sip. "You know that, Leo."

"Yeah, I know," Leo mumbled, setting the cup down. He sat directly across from his brother, the ticking of the clock corresponding with the tapping of his fingers on the table. He could feel the hateful glare in those cybernetic red eyes and it sent a shiver down his spine, but it also broke his heart. He knew that he deserved it. He left his little brothers behind thirty years ago so that he could avenge Mikey's death and wage war on all criminals in New York. He had it figured that without Mikey's presence, the family would fall apart anyway. But reflecting back on it-

"I've got a tight schedule," Donnie suddenly interrupted his thoughts, causing him to jump. "So I'll get right to it. Leo...you need to stop this vigilante nonsense."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "'Nonsense'? Is it nonsense that I want to protect this city from dangerous criminals?"

"Oh, sure, 'dangerous'," Donnie sarcastically mumbled while using his fingers as air quotes. "Like that nimrod who tried to steal those diamonds earlier? You were going to _execute_ him, Leo."

"And he rightfully deserves it," Leo coldly said. "He may not be a rapist or a serial killer, but he _is_ a scumbag just like the rest of them, and _all_ scumbags deserve to die, no matter how petty their crimes may be."

Donnie paused before lifting the cup to his lips, his eyes never leaving Leo's. He slowly put the cup down before speaking, "Why are you _really_ doing this, Leo?"

"What do you mean?" Leo asked. "I already told you, I have a city to protect and it's my duty to-"

"Don't give me that honor-bound crap," Donnie snapped. "You're only doing this for yourself, and you know it."

 _...What?_

There was absolute shock on Leo's face before it slowly became distorted with rage. "What did you just say?" he venomously whispered as he gripped the edge of the table so tight that his knuckles became white.

Donnie wasn't the least bit intimidated and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. "You heard me. You're doing this for your own selfish reasons. You feel so guilty about what happened to Mikey, and you figured that by saving other people from criminals, it'd be like saving _him_. But at the same time, you wanted to take your pain out on others, and you decided that criminals would be the unfortunate victims since nobody would miss them, right?"

His blood was boiling now. Leo began to breathe heavily and an eye twitched. "Donnie...!" he snarled. "I'm warning you-"

"What?" Donnie challenged. "You can't handle the truth? Do you honestly think that you're any better than Oroku Saki? Face it, Leo, you've become even _worse_ than-"

Donnie didn't even have time to finish his sentence as Leo suddenly leapt across the table and placed the blade of his katana at Donnie's neck. At the exact same moment, Donnie activated his gun and aimed it at Leo's chest, ready to fire.

Leo didn't even pay attention to the weapon that was pointed at his heart, and he stared at Donnie with wild, furious eyes. "Don't you ever... _ever_...compare that monster to me," he growled. "I am _nothing_ like him! And if you ever say that again, I swear I will...!"

Then he looked at his reflection in the blade. He hadn't seen eyes as cold and bloodthirsty as those since his last encounter with...

 _...oh, my god._

Horrified, he quickly put his sword away and backed away from the table. He had just threatened his own brother. His _brother_! Perhaps Donnie was right: he was becoming like Oroku Saki. Maybe he was turning into something even _worse_.

Sighing and hanging his head in shame, Leo slowly walked back to his seat. "I'm so sorry, Donnie," he softly said.

"I rest my case," Donnie said unsympathetically. "You're a danger to everyone around you."

"I know I am," Leo said miserably as he buried his head in his hands. "And trust me, you'd be doing us _both_ a favor if you were to kill me right now."

"So you **know** that what you're doing is wrong," Donnie scoffed, "and yet you continue to do it anyway? You have problems, Leo, you know that?"

Leo remained silent and didn't look up. Seeing Leo so miserable and full of remorse almost made Donnie feel sorry for him.

Almost.

"You know, I could kill you," Donnie apathetically said. "I _should_ kill you, because you're too dangerous to be put in jail. But I won't for two reasons. The first is that I'm not like you. I absolutely refuse to stoop to your level. The second reason is that you were once my brother. And it's only because you were my brother that I'm willing to give you one last chance."

At this, Leo finally lifted his head and looked at Donnie in surprise.

"Leo," Donnie leaned forward, "leave the vigilante business behind and let the criminal justice system do all the work. And move out of the city as soon as possible, because I assure you that the police won't be as sympathetic and merciful as I am, and they'll kill you when they get the chance. If you leave now, I won't report you. That's a promise."

For a moment, Leo actually considered giving up the Serpent life and leaving New York. He could even move to the O'Neil farmhouse and start a new life. The city has a new hero, after all: the Ninja Turtle. He had confidence in Raph, and if anyone could find a way to defeat the new Shredder and his Foot Clan, it'd be him.

But then Leo began to wonder whether or not he could start over in North Hampton and live with the guilt of knowing that he had murdered countless people, even if it was to protect New York and its inhabitants.

No, he couldn't do it. He didn't deserve a second chance.

"I can't, Donnie," Leo said barely below a whisper.

Donnie heard the answer, though, and grumbled under his breath, "Figures."

"I won't deny that I deserve to die," Leo continued, "and when I do, it will either be by my own hand or at the hands of the police. There's no turning back for me, Donnie. My soul, itself, is damned. You don't have to protect me."

Donnie looked away and rested his cheek on his robotic hand. "I don't know why I even bothered. Just...get out of my lab before I _do_ arrest you," he gestured at the door.

Leo got out of his seat and smiled sadly at Donnie as he headed for the exit. "Thank you, Donnie, for being concerned about me."

Donnie merely scoffed in response and refused to look at him. But once he heard the sound of the door softly closing, he closed his eyes and covered his face with his hand.

"Darn it, Leo..."

* * *

"Hey, Raph!" Shadow called out as she entered the lair, but her Sensei was nowhere in sight. "Raph?"

"I understand, Sensei."

She heard his voice in the dojo. It sounded like he was talking to someone. Curious, she tiptoed down the hall, stopping at the dojo doors and listening in on the conversation.

"Thank you. Heh, don't worry, Mikey, I won't. Yeah, love you too."

Shadow slowly peeked her head in and saw Raph standing in the middle of the room, his shell facing her. But there was no one else in the dojo, so who was he talking to? Did he get Bluetooth headsets or something?

"I know you're there, Shadow," Raph said without turning around.

"Oh, right," Shadow chucked sheepishly and walked into the room. "Um, Raph? Who were you talking to?"

This time Raph turned to look at her and a warm smile formed on his lips. "I was just having a chat with Mikey and Father."

Shadow stared at Raph confused. "Huh? But aren't they-?"

Raph chuckled and playfully ruffled Shadow's hair, earning a cry of protest from her. "It's something that I'll have to teach you some other time, kid."

 **So, Leo has made his decision. Donnie is certainly risking a lot in trying to help a fugitive. Could it be that he's regaining his humanity, or in this case, "turmanity?" (Laughs and snorts, but notices the lack of reaction) "Ahem" Sorry...**


	7. Slash n Snap, Part 1

**Hi! So in case you don't know, I posted the real version of the April Fool's chapter in Chapter Seven.**

He looked through his photo album while Shadow was taking a shower after another vigorous training session. His heart clenched when he flipped to the photo of Spike before he mutated into Slash. He often wondered where the Mutanimals went after the final battle with the Kraang fifteen years ago. Was Slash even still alive?

Gently brushing his fingertips over the photo, Raph whispered, "Wherever you are, I hope you're happy."

"Talking to your Dad and brother again?"

Raph looked over the couch and saw Shadow walking into the living room, her blonde hair still wet.

He chuckled, "No, I was just...thinking of an old friend of mine."

She sat down next to him and saw the photo of Spike. "Your friend is a box turtle?"

"He used to be one," Raph explained, "but then one day he mutated into a giant turtle with super strength, which was actually my fault. It's a long story. He was really good friend and a trustworthy ally. I miss him...a lot," he sadly mumbled the last sentence.

"Is he still alive?" Shadow asked.

Raph shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I haven't seen or spoken to him in years. He might not even be in New York anymore."

* * *

 ** _The next morning..._**

A truck full of vegetables came to an abrupt halt when a large dark figure suddenly ran into the street and blocked its path. The driver slammed the brakes, and as the truck slowed down, the headlights revealed a teal-colored mutant turtle with massive spikes growing out of its shell. In its hand was a mace of some kind, and as the truck got closer, the turtle swung its weapon at the vehicle with such force that the entire front had been crushed in. The scared driver hopped out and ran to safety.

"Heh, good job, Slash."

Another huge mutant turtle stepped out of the shadows and gave Slash a congratulatory slap on the shoulder. This mutant's scales were grey-green, and his spikes were even more massive than Slash's. But what was most frightening about him were his pupilless red eyes.

Slash merely grumbled under his breath, "Let's just get this over with." He walked to the back of the truck and lifted the sliding door to reveal a wide variety of vegetables. His mouth immediately watered when he spotted the lettuce and began to gather up as much as he could.

Meanwhile, his mutant friend, who wasn't too fond of vegetables, spotted a nearby butcher shop and decided to steal some meat. With one punch, he shattered the storefront window and crawled through it.

Once he was finished gathering up the lettuce, Slash jumped out of the truck and groaned in annoyance when he noticed his friend looting the butcher shop. "Snapper, hurry up!" he called out to the turtle. "Before we get-"

"SLASH!"

Said turtle jumped and nearly dropped his lettuce in surprise. He spun around to see a familiar mutant gecko standing in the street. Mondo Gecko no longer wore his original skateboarder outfit, but was now wearing a black leather jacket, a red turtleneck shirt, and a pair of black pants.

"Slash, this has to stop!" Mondo pleaded as he walked over to him. "You're not a thief! You're a hero!"

Slash looked away in shame and shook his head sadly. "Not anymore, Mondo. The Mutanimals disbanded years ago, remember?"

"Yeah, I know 'cause _I_ used to be on the team!" Mondo snapped. "But this is wrong and you know it!"

"I'm just trying to survive. I don't want to steal, but I don't want to starve, either."

"Slash, please! Just ditch that Snapper guy and come with-!"

Mondo squeaked as he was suddenly grabbed by a large clawed hand. He felt himself being lifted by the jacket and felt hot breath on the back of his head. Slowly, he turned his head and was met with a pair of angry red eyes.

Mondo gulped nervously as the turtle snarled at him. "Uh, hey, Snapper. How have you been?"

"I thought I told you to quit bugging us, pipsqueak!" Snapper hissed. "Slash is with me now! And this is the last time I'll let you off easy!" He stomped over to a mailbox and with much difficulty crammed Mondo into it. "Stay out of our way," he growled before picking up the stolen meat that he had left on the sidewalk. "Let's blow this joint, Slash."

Slash lifted the mailbox door and softly spoke to Mondo through it. "I'm sorry, Mondo." He then left to catch up with his friend, and Mondo sadly watched him leave through the opening.

* * *

 _ **Later in the afternoon...**_

"Welcome home, Sis!"

Raph ran to Karai and embraced her. The kunoichi was finally back from her trip to Japan, and she couldn't have been more glad to be back in the sewers, where her family waited for her.

"It's good to be home, Raph," she said. "Sure, Japan was nice, but _this_ is where I belong. Say, where's-"

Chompy suddenly ran into the room, wagging his tail and barking happily. He charged at Karai and knocked her down, licking her like crazy. He wasn't aware that he was crushing her with his weight.

"Chompy..." Karai gasped as she tried to push him off. "Chompy, you're...crushing me."

Chuckling, Raph pried Chompy off of Karai and helped her to her feet, brushing the dust off her pants. "Someone's happy to see you. He's not the only one, you know. I'm really glad that you're back home, Karai."

"Yeah," Karai coughed. "Well, at least _you_ guys are happy to see me."

Raph didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"

Karai lowered her head sadly. "Shinigami wasn't too thrilled to see me. Can't say I blame her, though."

"She's still mad at you?"

"Yeah..."

"So, did she seem...suspicious?"

"You mean, in regards to the new Foot Clan?" Karai asked him. Raph nodded. "No, she seemed genuinely surprised about the return of the Foot. She said that she left that business years ago, and I believe her."

"I see," Raph mumbled, before breaking the awkward silence with a cough. "So! Now that you're home, how about we go to the Paraiso and have Ronny whip us up a celebration dinner?"

Karai smiled at her reptilian brother. "I'd like that, actually."

"Great! I'll text him and let him know we're coming!" Raph went into the kitchen to grab his phone. But as he reached for it on the table, he felt a presence...

His instincts told him to look up at the ceiling, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a large mutant gecko sticking to it. He immediately reached for the sai in his belt, ready to strike down the intruder.

"W-WAIT!" the gecko yelled, frantically waving a hand. "Raph, it's me-Mondo Gecko!"

Raph paused and observed the gecko. "...What the-?! Mondo?! What the _heck_ are you doing up there?! Spying on me?!"

The gecko detached himself from the ceiling and landed on the floor, looking up at Raph apologetically. "Sorry, man, but that dog of yours is scary. Didn't want to become his lunch, you know?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Chompy doesn't eat people, Mondo."

"Yeah, maybe, but what about geckos?" Mondo gulped.

"What do you want, Mondo?" Raph huffed.

"Well, gee," Mondo pouted, "nice to meet you, too, Raph. It's only been, what, thirty years since I last saw you?"

"Sorry," Raph sighed before taking Mondo's hand. "How have you been, man?"

"Okay, I guess," Mondo said as they shook hands. "Though I really can't say the same for Slash."

Raph's eye immediately widened at the mention of his old friend's name. "Slash?! What about Slash?! Is he hurt?!"

"No, but," Mondo sadly looked down at the floor, "he's gotten himself involved with the wrong kind of mutants. That's why I came to see you, actually."

* * *

Raph, Karai, and Mondo all sat at the kitchen table, with Chompy resting at Raph's feet.

Mondo took a sip of his coffee before continuing on with his story. "So then Slash met this mutant turtle named Snapper. The guy's a psychopath and a real grouch. You do NOT want to cross somebody like him, believe me. And Slash isn't really too fond of him, either. The only reason he sticks with that creep is because he wants to survive, and he thinks that Snapper is the only one who can help him. So they steal stuff together, mostly food."

Raph couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Slash..." he whispered shakily, "...is _stealing_ stuff?"

"He hates it," Mondo sighed. "Snapper, on the other hand, he doesn't care about Slash's feelings. He only cares about himself. I've tried numerous times to convince Slash to leave, but Snapper isn't willing to let him go. He's trapped, Raph, and he needs your help. He'll listen to you."

Raph buried his face in his hands. "I just...I can't believe that Slash would resort to this. I blame myself."

Karai comfortingly placed a hand on the Turtle's shoulder. "Raph, it wasn't your fault."

Raph shook his head. "No. I should've been there for my friend, but instead I ran off and allowed all of this to happen to him."

"Uh...?"

They all turned to see Shadow standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She stared wide-eyed at the mutant gecko who sat at the table with her Sensei and honorary aunt. "What'd I miss?" she asked.

"Shadow," Raph quickly got out of his chair and walked over to her. "I'm sorry, but there won't be any training today. Something's come up."

"Okay, but who's that?" Shadow pointed at Mondo.

"Another family friend," Raph explained while gently ushering her into the living room. "Just go home, and I'll explain everything tomorrow, okay?"

"Wait a sec..." Mondo narrowed his vertically-slit eyes before widening them in recognition. "Aren't you Shadow? April and Casey's kid?"

Shadow immediately stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "You know me?"

Raph began to sweat. _Mondo, don't you dare tell her. She can't know about-_

"Sure!" Mondo smiled. "I was there the day you were-"

 _NO!_

The table suddenly jolted, and Mondo cried out in pain. "OW! What'd you kick me for?!" he turned to Karai, who pretended to look innocent.

"Kick you?" she asked. "I didn't kick you. It must've been Chompy."

Chompy lifted his head and titled his head in confusion. "Grrr?"

 _Whew. Thanks, Karai._

Raph turned back to Shadow. "Shadow, please...go home."

"All right, all right," Shadow mumbled as she left the kitchen. "See you tomorrow, I guess."

Once he was certain that Shadow had left the lair, Raph returned to his seat. "Mondo, listen, Shadow doesn't know about...the story behind her birth."

"Seriously?" Mondo whispered. "She really doesn't know?"

"Yes," Karai joined in. "She's not yet ready to know the truth. For now, we have to keep quiet about it."

"Gotcha," Mondo did the zipper-mouth gesture. "So what are we going to do about Slash?"

"I'm going to confront him about this," Raph declared. "He can't hang around that Snapper guy, anymore."

"Well, you'd better do it while Snapper's not around," Mondo nervously said. "'Cause if he spots you with him, he will tear you apart."

Raph narrowed his eye and scowled. "Let him try."

* * *

Shadow strode along the sidewalk, pondering over why Raph rushed her out of the lair like that.

 _Is he hiding something from me? First he wouldn't talk to me about those Utrom guys, and now this. Mom hasn't exactly been honestly with me, either. Every time I'd bring up the Utom thing, she'd quickly change the subject or think of an excuse to leave the table. I hate being left in the dark._

She was about to pass by a grocery store when something suddently crashed through the storefront window, missing her by a few inches. She fell to the pavement in shock and realized that it was a shopping cart. She tried to calm her racing heart when she heard a gruff voice coming from inside the store.

"Come on, Slash! Let's get outta here!"

 _Slash?_

Just thing, a humongous mutant turtle stepped through the opening in the glass, carrying a pile of food in his muscular arms. He stopped to look down at Shadow with his yellow green eyes.

Shadow felt her blood chill. There was something familiar about this mutant turtle...

 _She opened her eyes for the very first time, and big scary creatures were looming over her. The biggest and scariest of them all stared at her with yellow green eyes. When he opened his jaws, a raspy yet booming voice filled her eardrums, and it scared her even more. She couldn't understand a word he was saying, and then he reached for her with his hand, which had very ugly and sharp fingernails. She could only wail as the hand got closer..._

Before she even realized it, she was screaming in terror and ran from the creatures who haunted her in her nightmares.

* * *

Raph jumped from one rooftop to the next when he heard a bloodcurdling scream.

 _They must be close by._

He immediately ran to the source of the scream.

* * *

Slash watched as the girl ran into an alley. When he briefly stared into those green eyes, he could've sworn that he had seen her before. But where?

"Slash!" Snapper ran out of the store and stood beside his friend, following his gaze toward the alley but seeing nothing. "What are you looking at?! Raccoons?! We gotta go!" He harshly tugged at Slash's arm and began to drag him off, but then a sai flew out of nowhere and embedded itself in the pavement before them.

The Ninja Turtle then jumped down from a building and landed in the street. "Slash!"

Shadow peeked from out the alley and saw her Sensei confronting the two larger turtles. "Raph?"

Slash never thought he'd see those emerald green eyes again. Wait, he only had one eye. What happened to him? "Raphael...?"

Raph looked at his friend with a sad eye. "Slash, why are you doing this? This isn't who you are! You know it's wrong to steal from others!"

Slash was about to say something, but then Snapper growled deep in his throat and stepped in between Raph and Slash, glaring at the Ninja Turtle with hateful red eyes. "Well, well, well. We finally meet, Raphael."

Raph glared back at the monstrous turtle. "And you must be Snapper. I don't know what kind of junk you've been filling my friend's head with, but it's gonna stop NOW! Slash is better off without you!"

"Are you kiddin'?!" Snapper snarled. "I was there for him when you weren't! Where were you when he was starving and fending for himself on the streets fifteen years ago?! Huh?! Tell me that!"

Raph felt guilt stab at his heart for a moment before letting it slide. "I was wrong to leave him, I'll admit that. But I'm trying to make up for my mistakes." His eye and expression softened as he looked at Slash. "I'm sorry for not being there for you, Slash. Please...let me help you."

He walked right past Snapper, completely ignoring him, and extended his hand to Slash. "Come on, Slash. Let's-"

Snapper suddently slammed him into the brick wall with his massive arm, the spikes on his skin digging painfully into Raph's plastron. The larger turtle leaned his face in close to Raph's and whispered venomously to him. "He ain't your pet anymore, Raphael. He ain't even your _friend_. He's _mine_ now, and I ain't gonna let a sniveling coward like you destroy our partnership."

Raph looked over at Slash, expecting him to intervene and help him anytime soon. But his former pet and ally only stood by and looked at him with apologetic eyes.

"Hey, Slash, watch this!" Snapper grabbed a handful of lettuce from Slash's pile of food and shoved the green leaves into Raph's mouth, choking him. "Hey, Raphael! How do you like that lettuce?!" He laughed cruelly as Raph clawed at his arm, struggling to breathe. "Chew on your leaves, little guy! CHEW ON THEM!"

Slash had finally had enough. He couldn't stand watching his old friend being tortured and humiliated like this. He was about to step in when somebody screamed, "NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Shadow ran out of the alley with a pipe in her hands, facing them with a nervous yet determined expression. Her knees were shaking, but she bravely took a step forward. "L-Let him go! _Now_!"

Snapper merely snorted before dropping Raphael, who spat out the lettuce and went into a coughing fit. "Whatever. Let's go, Slash."

As Snapper stomped away, Slash bent down to help Raph, but then Shadow leapt herself onto the Ninja Turtle, shielding him. She tried to put on a brave face as she looked up at him, but Slash could tell that she was scared out of her mind. He smiled sadly at her and stepped back. "Look after him for me, kid," he softly told her before walking around her and Raph to follow Snapper.

Shadow watched him leave for a moment before turning her attention back to Raph, whose shoulders shook as he continued to cough. "Are you okay?" she asked him. When he didn't respond, she leaned in closer to his face, and she felt her heart clench as she realized that he wasn't coughing but sobbing.

"Spike..."

 **Oh, Raph... :,(**

 **BTW, Snapper is a character from the Mirage comics.**


	8. Slash n Snap, Part 2

**I will most likely have grammar mistakes in this chapter. But I will fix it later.**

"Raph?"

The heartbroken Turtle merely lifted his eye at the teenager. He sat on the couch next to her and was holding the photo of Spike in his hands. "Yes, Shadow?" he responded quietly.

"That large turtle, Slash," Shadow pointed to the photo. "He's your old pet, Spike, isn't he?"

Raph painfully closed his eye and nodded.

Shadow leaned back in the couch, stoking Chompy's head. "I've seen him somewhere before. I mean, his face seemed familiar. And I think it may have something to do with my fear of mutants. I dunno." She turned back to Raph. "What do _you_ think?"

Raph let out a heavy sigh and lifted himself off the couch. "I don't know, Shadow," he mumbled sadly. "I need some alone time. It's getting dark, anyway. Go home before your Mom begins to worry." He slowly walked into the dojo and shut the doors, leaving Shadow alone in the living room with Chompy, who whimpered in concern for his master.

"I know, boy," Shadow gently told him as she scratched his chin. "I'm worried about him, too. I can't even imagine what he's going though right now." She reflected on her own friendship with Sloane. It would've devastated her, too, if her best friend had ditched her for some insensitive bully.

Her heart ached for her Sensei. He had already been through so much during the last thirty years, what with him losing his youngest brother and then his father. Not to mention that his other brothers pretty much hated him as much as they hated each other. She wished that she could help him. Somehow.

She had an idea, but it was suicidal and completely crazy. Yet she couldn't stand to see Raph so broken and downhearted.

She sighed in defeat and pulled out her phone, dialing the number for her mother.

"Hey, Mom? Yeah, I'm still in the lair. Listen, I'm gonna come home late tonight. You know, ninja stuff. Uh-huh. Yes, Mom, I understand. Got it. Thanks, love you, too. Bye."

She hung up and puffed her cheeks, blowing out a long sigh. "Well, so much for steak and shrimp dinner night," she muttered.

* * *

"Okay, Chompy, time to use that nose of yours."

She and Chompy were back to the surface, standing at a bus stop. In Shadow's hand was a tiny plastic palm tree, which used to belong to Spike before he mutated into Slash. "Raph said that this was his favorite thing in the world. It's worth a shot."

She held the tree out for Chompy to sniff. The space turtle took a couple of whiffs before lifting his nose to the air and stomping down the street, following Slash's scent like a dog.

"Good boy," Shadow whispered as she followed him. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Master Splinter, Mikey...Slash is..."

"We know," Mikey gently told his brother as he wrapped a comforting arm around his shaking shoulder. "I'm so sorry, bro."

"He must hate me for leaving," Raph choked, reaching to clutch Mikey's hand. "I mean, he just stood there and let that creep...god, it's all so messed up."

"Raphael," Splinter knelt down on the floor and gently lifted his son's chin so that their eyes would meet. "None of this was your fault. Slash chose this path. It was _his_ decision. Just as Leonardo has chosen his own path, even though it will only lead him to even more suffering and ultimately death," his ears flattened and his eyes became sad at the thought of his eldest son. "However, that does not mean that neither one of them can change their direction and find the right path again. There is still hope for both of them."

"But what can I do, Sensei?" Raph begged his father. "About Slash, I mean."

"You cannot force him to see the light, my son. He must figure things out on his own. All you can do for him is continue to show him the truth, and he will decide whether or not to accept it and change his ways."

"Besides," Mikey joined in with a smile, "something tells me that Slash will soon get his head screwed on straight."

Raph looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Mikey winked at him. "You'll see, dude."

* * *

Shadow looked up at the flickering red sign that read, "HOB'S PUB."

"Are you kidding?" she huffed as Chompy scratched at the front door. "Your nose leads us to a _bar_? I seriously doubt that they would serve beer to a couple of monstrous mutant turtles, even if they did have money."

Chompy only whined and continued to scratch. Shadow finally relented and went in, but the second she opened the door, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

Mutants of all shapes and sizes were casually sitting at their tables, drinking beer and eating nuts.

"I'm in a...mutant bar?" Shadow squeaked, before screaming when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She jumped back and tumbled to the floor, and a large grey wolf mutant stood over her, his yellow piercing eyes looking into her green ones.

"You shouldn't be in here, kid," he said in a low, threatening voice. "No humans allowed."

Chompy ran over to Shadow and stood in front of her protectively, growling at the wolf to stay away. Shadow shushed and calmed him down by soothingly rubbing his shell before she stood to her feet.

"I'm s-sorry," she gulped. "I'm just looking for a couple of large turtles, Slash and Snapper. You know where they are?"

The wolf raised his brow and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Come with me."

* * *

"So, you a friend of Slash 'n Snap?" A mutant cat wearing an eyepatch and a dirty white tank spat into a glass before cleaning it with a washcloth.

"Not really," Shadow told the owner and bartender before feeding a couple more nuts to Chompy. "Slash is more of a friend of a friend, if you know what I mean. I'm gonna try and bring him back home for my friend's sake."

"Right," the cat mumbled as he sat the glass down on the counter. "You know, I normally don't help humans, let alone talk to them. But I've got my own reasons for wanting to help you. You see, Slash and his pal, Snapper, come here every now and then to have a beer. That big lug's got a heart of gold, I'll tell you what. But Snapper...he's the nastiest reptile to walk the planet. You so much as _look_ at him wrong, he'll bite your head off, literally. Last time we met, I said something to him that he didn't like and then he chewed my eye out." The cat pointed to the eyepatch that covered his right eye.

Shadow felt a shiver go down her spine. _Crap, I might not make it out of this one._

"That dirtbag took something valuable from me," the cat scowled. "It's time that he had something taken from him, as well. Slash is too good for him, anyway. They live in the abandoned Fower Power plant. You know where that is?"

"Yeah, I-I think so," Shadow said.

"Just try not to be seen by Snapper," the cat warned, "or that ugly mug of his will be the last thing you ever see. Oh, and tell Slash Old Hob says, 'hi.'"

"S-Sure," Shadow hesitantly got off her seat. "Let's go, Chompy."

* * *

"What am I doing?" Shadow mumbled to herself as she and Chompy quietly tiptoed through the erie, dusty hallways of the power plant. "I'm gonna killed." _Just remember: you're doing this for Raph. Do this for Raph._

"...eating you, Slash?"

Shadow startled as she heard Snapper's voice and rushed to Chompy's side, hugging his neck.

"It's...nothing, Snapper."

She recognized the other voice to belong to Slash. He sounded a bit...sad. She followed the voices down the hallway as they continued to speak.

"Come on, don't give me that. Something's bugging you. What is it?"

"I'm just thinking over some things, okay?"

"You ain't still moping about Raphael, are you?"

The voices got louder as she got closer to the turbine hall. She slowly and cautiously walked over to a balcony and looked down. Slumped against a turbine, Slash was sitting on the floor next to Snapper and drawing circles on the concrete floor with his long claw, a disheartened expression on his face.

The othet turtle was rather displeased by his friend's silence, which pretty much said it all. "Forget about him, Slash! He doesn't care about you!"

Slash looked up from the floor and glared at Snapper. "That's not true. You never knew Raphael like I did."

"Well, I know that he _ditched_ you!" Snapper retorted. "That says plenty about him!"

"He was going through a really tough time, Snapper," Slash calmly argued. "His youngest brother was killed by the Shredder, and I know how much family means to him."

"Oh, boo hoo!" Snapper mocked. "I'm tearing up here! Well, what about you, huh?! Weren't you part of the family, too?! Or maybe you weren't good enough for him?!"

"He once told me that his brothers come first, no matter what. And I respect that."

Snapper snorted and stood back on his feet. "I don't believe this," he huffed as he started to walk away.

Slash got up and reached a hand toward him. "Snapper..." he started to say softly.

The grey-green turtle spun around and hissed loudly at him, causing the other turtle to flinch back. "After everything I've done for you!" he shouted furiously. "I saved you from starvation, let you stay at my place, and treated you like a brother! And yet you're thinking about ditching ME for HIM?!"

Slash held his hands out in front of him defensively. "Snapper, wait! That's not-!"

"I _forbid_ you to see him again!"

Now Slash was starting to get angry. "You don't get to decide who I hang out with," he growled.

"You're either with me or against me!" Snapper snarled. "That's just how it is! I'm warning you, Slash...if I even catch you two taking a _leak_ together... _I'll snap_ **both** _of your necks_."

Shadow couldn't help but cover her mouth in shock.

Slash growled deep in his throat and raised his fist. Shadow expected him to start a fight with the other turtle, but he instead punched a dent in the turbine, the very loud clank echoing in the empty building and causing her to jump.

"I need to step outside for a moment," Slash angrily mumbled as he headed for one of the exits. Snapper only watched him leave and then stomped in the opposite direction. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Shadow ran toward Slash's direction, but not before instructing Chompy to stay and keep an eye out for Snapper.

* * *

The ends of his black mask flowed in the wind as he stared at the moon with sad, yellow green eyes. He sat on a moss-covered station bench that stood on an abandoned railway platform.

The image of Raph kneeling on the pavement and choking on the lettuce would not leave his mind. He felt like such a horrible friend and a failure. Once a proud leader and a hero, he had been reduced to a common thief and the stooge of a psychotic, murderous mutant. His heart ached as he reminisced about the good old days. He missed his old teammates. He missed Raphael. He missed Leatherhead. The old alligator was more a brother to him than Snapper ever was. He understood Slash better than anyone and treated him with respect and compassion. After he sadly passed away, it was as though a part of Slash was missing.

Slash felt the tears burning his eyes. "I've really screwed up my life, haven't I, Leatherhead?" he prayed to his old friend.

" _Psst!_ "

Slash whipped his around in the direction of the sound. To his surprise, a teenaged girl was peeking from behind a worn, old tree and beckoning for him to come over there. He recognized the girl from the grocery store earlier, the one who rushed in to protect Raph from him and Snapper. What was _she_ doing here? Curious, he walked over to the tree and stood over her. She still seemed a bit nervous around him. Those familiar green eyes, that blonde hair...

Wait...

 _"What is this, Rockwell?" Slash watched the naked infant sleep peacefully in the chamber. He gently tapped the glass, though it did nothing to wake it. "Another Kraang experiment?"_

 _"Well," the chimpanzee scratched his chin in thought, "it appears to be a normal human infant. Looks can be deceiving, though."_

 _"Awww," Mondo Gecko pressed his face against the glass and smiled down at the baby. "She's soooo cute! Let's keep her!"_

 _"How do you even know if it's a 'she'?" Slash asked the gecko._

 _"Geez, are you_ that _clueless, Slash?" Mondo said as he pointed to the baby's...genital area._

 _"Ah, it appears that Mondo is correct," Rockwell observed. "The infant is, indeed, a female."_

 _"Yeah, no duh! Come on, Rockwell! Open that chamber and get her out of there!"_

 _"Now just a moment, Mondo. We don't know for certain if this infant is even human."_

 _"Rockwell's got a point," Slash said. "It could be a shape-shifting Kraang creature, for all we know."_

 _"And what if she turns out to be a normal baby?!" Mondo argued. "You're not seriously thinking about leaving her here, are you?!"_

 _Slash looked back at the baby, who continued to sleep. Kraang creature or not, the thought of leaving her alone sickened him. "No, we're taking her with us. Rockwell, open the chamber."_

 _The chimpanzee hesitated. "Slash, are you sure that is-?"_

 _" **Now** , Rockwell."_

 _Reluctantly, he typed in the code and the lid slowly lifted with a hiss. The baby stirred a bit before opening her eyes, which were a beautiful emerald green. Slash's heart felt a special kind of warmth as those eyes looked into his, and the two simply stared at each other for a while. He eventually reached down to gently pick up the baby..._

 _...who began to wail and squirm wildly. Slash felt his heart rip right in half as he realized that she was terrified of him._

 _"Whoa, back off, Slash!" Mondo quickly shoved him aside. "You're scaring the kid!" He reached for her and began to lift her up. "Come here, sweetie, it's-"_

 _The baby only began to wail louder and a shocked Mondo instantly put her back in the chamber._

 _"She seens to be scared of all of us," Rockwell concluded._

 _"Shhh! Please!" Mondo begged the crying baby and put a finger on his lips. "If you don't stop, the_ _Kraang will hear us!"_

 _"Too late," Slash grumbled._

 _Sure enough, a group of Kraang droids stood at the end of the hall and were aiming their guns at the Mutanimals._

 _"Let's go!" Slash grabbed the baby and held her protectively in his arms as they all ran and dodged the oncoming lasers. The poor child was not only scared by the monster that had a hold of her but by the loud noises as well._

"We've met before, haven't we?"

He snapped out of the flashback at the sound of Shadow's voice. "Huh?"

"When I was a baby," she said. "Mondo was there, too. My memory's a bit hazy, but I do remember seeing your face."

"So you _are_ Shadow Jones," Slash smiled softly at her. "You've gotten so big."

"I have so many questions to ask you, but now we have to get out of here."

Slash's smile dropped. "Did Raphael send you?"

Shadow shook her head. "I came to get you because he's really worried about you."

"He's... _worried_ about me? Even after I...?"

"You're his friend, Slash," Shadow found the courage to touch his massive scaly arm. "I may not know your history with him or that Snapper dude, but I do know that he still loves you. And you're not really happy here, are you?"

Slash sadly shook his head and couldn't meet her eyes. "I don't _deserve_ to be happy. This is the life I've chosen for myself. I'm just going to have to...you know, deal with it."

"It's not too late," Shadow gently insisted. "Your friends haven't given up on you. They all want to help you, Slash. But you have to _let_ them help you."

Slash felt a lump form in his throat and he swallowed around it. He had to make a decision: to either spend the rest of his life being pushed around by Snapper or to face his friends again and try to fix his life instead of ruining it any further.

He remembered what Leatherhead told him during the battle to take New York back from the Kraang thirty years ago.

 _"I have seen you save humans from the Kraang, rescue your fellow mutants. You are a good soul, Slash."_

Would still Leatherhead have faith in him if he were still alive today? Perhaps he would, because Raph, Mondo, and even Shadow did.

A hopeful grin formed on his lips and he sighed softly. "Okay, let's go."

Shadow smiled widely. _I did it!_ "Awesome! Let me go get Chompy real quick!" She ran back into the building to fetch her fire breathing pooch.

Slash fondly watched her as she left. _Who would've thought that the little baby we found in that chamber fifteen years ago would grow up to be such a wise and brave young lady? Her parents must be proud._

* * *

"Chompy!" Shadow called out for her pet in a hushed tone, searching for him throughout the turbine hall. "Chompy, where are you?"

She heard a raspy breathing sound and saw a large dark figure with spikes sitting in a corner.

"Chompy...?" She slowly walked toward the figure. "Is that you, boy? Come on, Slash is going back home with us."

The figure's head whipped around and a pair of red eyes locked with her green ones.

She felt her blood chill and her heart began to race as she recognized those bloodthirsty eyes and turned to run. But a clawed hand grabbed her by the throat, preventing her from screaming for help.

 **Oh, no! Shadow is in trouble! :0 How will she get out of this one?! HOW?!**

 **Also, Old Hob makes his appearance! (From the IDW comics)**


	9. Reflection

**Okay, so I know that I'm kinda torturing you guys by not revealing Shadow's fate from the previous chapter, but keep in mind that** ** _Akari_** **isn't just about Raph and Shadow. It's about everyone and how Mikey's death had impacted their lives, and I've come to realize that I need to focus more on Mikey's other brothers, Leo and Donnie. So here's a chapter focusing primarily on them. And a bonus scene with April.**

 **Again, there will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later... :/**

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

The sound of dripping water echoed in the empty warehouse. Leonardo knelt in front of his shrine of Mikey, the same photo of him and Ice Cream Kitty that leaned against a lit candle. In front of him stood the cracked mirror, which had collected dust over the years. For nearly an hour, he knelt there, staring at his reflection. The reflection of the Serpent, not Leonardo. Hamato Leonardo died thirty years ago in this very warehourse. He took an oath to protect the city from all criminals in honor of his little brother.

But was it truly all for Mikey?

 _"You're doing this for your own selfish reasons. You feel so guilty about what happened to Mikey, and you figured that by saving other people from criminals, it'd be like saving_ him _. But at the same time, you wanted to take your pain out on others, and you decided that criminals would be the unfortunate victims since nobody would miss them, right?"_

Donnie's words from their last visit continued to haunt him, and not even meditating in front of Mikey's altar could bring him peace or comfort. If anything, it made him feel even worse, and he couldn't bring himself to look at Mikey's smiling face in the photo.

 _"Do you honestly think that you're any better than Oroku Saki?"_

Leo closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands, his heart heavy with guilt and remorse. He was tempted to just end it all right then and there, to take his katana and plunge it right through his...

No. He had a job to do. One final mission. Then maybe...he will finally...

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Suddenly, the air became so cold that his breaths came out as puffs of fog. Shivering, he wrapped his arms around himself and the chattering of his teeth was the only noise that could be heard in the warehouse.

 _ **Are you ready this time?**_

The Turtle didn't even need to open his eyes to know who it was. He solemnly shook his head. "No, not yet."

A cold hand gently touched his shoulder. The soft, feminine voice whispered to him again.

 _ **Just how much longer are you planning to keep this up? Don't you want to be finally free of the burden and pain?**_

"There is still so much work to be done."

 _ **You cannot purge the city of all criminals, no matter what you do.**_

"True," Leo smiled bitterly, his eyes still closed. "But I intend on leaving this world with one final, impacting message that the scumbags of New York will never forget. I just need more time."

 _ **And once you have succeeded, will you finally do it?**_

He finally opened his midnight blue eyes and looked in the mirror again. Standing behind him with her pale hand on his shoulder was an incredibly beautiful yet somber-looking woman dressed in a black cloak, her piercing dark eyes looking into his in the reflection. He looked away from the mirror and down at her hand on his shoulder, but instead of flesh, a skeleton hand had a grip on him.

But he wasn't the least bit afraid. In fact, he found comfort in the presence of this ghostly woman. For thirty years, she had been his closest companion, following him wherever he went. There were times when even his unfortunate victims would see her lurking behind him in their moments, filling their hearts with even more terror.

Slowly, he reached to grab the bony hand and pulled it closer to his face, tenderly kissing it. "Maybe. Sometimes, though, I wonder if I could actually bring myself to do it."

The corners of the woman's mouth lifted into a small smile. **_That is fine. I've waited forty-six years. I can wait a bit longer._**

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Donatello impatiently tapped his foot as the elevator slowly went down to the floor on which his lab was located. The interior of the elevator included mirrors on all three walls, and he turned to his right to look at his reflection.

"You should've arrested him when you had the chance," he mumbled to the Turtle staring back at him. "More people will die because you were _stupid_ enough to let him walk away. And you call yourself a Turtle of justice."

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

 _"What happened to you, Donatello?"_

Donnie jumped at the familiar voice that echoed in the elevator. It almost sounded like...his own voice?

 _"You've changed. And not for the better."_

He instantly turned his left and was met with his reflection, though he looked completely normal, younger even. There were no cybernetic parts, only scaled flesh, and on his face he wore his old purple ninja mask. But most of all, those lively auburn eyes were there once again, staring into his cybernetic ones. This was him thirty years ago, when he was a teenager.

Donnie slowly shook his head in denial, fear gripping his heart. _Now I_ know _I'm losing it. This just can't be!_

Younger Donnie narrowed his eyes at him. _"Oh, but it is,"_ he sternly said. _"You're completely sane, though I'd rather be a delusional fruitcake than the cold, unfeeling robot that you've become. I mean, I've always been the one making the machines, but I never intended to actually make myself into_ _one someday."_

 _"_ _ **Do not listen to him.**_ _"_

Another voice was heard, and this one also sounded just like his, only it was hollow and metallic. Hesitantly, he looked to his right, and sure enough, another version of himself was staring back at him in the mirror. There was not a single organic part left of his original body. He was all robot. There was a vertical slit mouth that allowed him to talk.

 _" **You have improvements to your being. You are faster, stronger, unstoppable.** "_

 _"Yeah, having cybernetic parts certainly is beneficial,"_ Younger Donnie scowled. _"But you never needed to 'improve' yourself, did you? You were fine just the way you were. But after Mikey died, you wanted to escape the pain by spending all of your time and energy on robotics. You became so desperate to keep yourself busy that you made yourself a guinea pig in your cybernetic experiments. Since when did the inventor become the invention?"_

 _" **Just look at all the people he has helped over the years** ," _Robot Donnie argued. _" **The lives that were saved thanks to his robotics. He is using his brilliant mind to make the world a better place.** "_

 _"But he is losing sight of who he really is!"_ Younger Donnie shouted. _"The Turtle he used to be! All of his friends...his family...he tossing them aside like they are nothing more than scrap metal."_

 _" **He does not need them. Attachment makes him weak, vulnerable. He is better off alone.** "_

 _"You're wrong! His bond with his brothers makes him_ stronger _! Without them, he is lost!"_

 _" **Without them, he became prosperous, successful. Just think of all the brilliant inventions that were ruined or destroyed by Michelangelo. All of the headaches, the stress, the frustration...** "_

 _"If anything, Mikey was doing him a favor. He reminded him that life isn't about making machines, but about the people you care about. Material possessions are fleeting, but family is forever. Whatever Mikey broke, Donatello could easily repair. But what he can't fix is a broken family. Only Mikey had the tools for that."_

 _" **And now Michelangelo is dead. So where is the hope?** "_

 _"There is always hope. Mikey may no longer be with us physically..."_ Younger Donnie placed a hand directly over his heart and looked straight at the real Donnie. _"...but his spirit still lives within us. We can still fix our family."_

 _" **It is too late. Leonardo is beyond our help. He said it himself, his own soul is damned.** "_

 _"We can't give up on him! Mikey wouldn't!"_

 _" **Enough. You hindering Donatello in his work. He has much more important things to do.** "_

 _"More important than helping his brothers?"_

 _" **Be quiet.** "_

 _"NO!"_ Younger Donnie banged on the glass with his fists. _"I will NOT stay in this cold, empty shell any longer! Do you hear me?!"_ He continued to hit the glass to the point that it started to crack. _"I am not a machine! I AM HAMATO DONATELLO!"_

Donnie nervously backed away from the mirror and into the other, pressing a hand against the glass in the process.

 _" **You see?** "_

He turned his head and saw Robot Donnie leaning in close with his robot hand pressed against his, the glass the only thing separating them.

 _" **You instinctively cling to me because you belong with me. You have always known this to be** __**true.**_ _"_

 _Ding._

The doors finally opened and he ran out of the elevator and into the hallway, sweating profusely and his heart pounding so hard that he thought it might break through his plastron. He put a hand to his mouth to steady his breathing and he leaned against the wall.

 _I'm not going crazy. I'm not going crazy. I'm not going crazy._

"Donnie..."

He whipped his head around at the sound of Leo's voice and saw his brother standing at the end of the hallway. His entire body was riddled with bullet holes, which were heavily bleeding and a large red puddle was forming at his feet. His blue eyes were lifeless as he stared at Donnie.

"Don...Donnie..." he gurgled as blood spewed from his mouth.

Robot Donnie's voice echoed in his mind. _" **You do not need them...** "_

Clenching the sides of his bald head, Donnie let out a scream of terror and then ran toward the other end of the hallway, toward the sanctuary of his lab.

The janitor, who was cleaning the floor with a mop, stood there perplexed as the door to the lab slammed. "Was it something I said?" he murmured as he scratched his bearded chin.

* * *

"This is April Jones, signing off."

As soon as the red recording light on Vernon's camera turned off, she let out a groan and hugged her stomach.

"April, you okay?" Vernon asked his friend in concern.

"Not really," April gritted her teeth. "I've throwing up all morning. I don't know what the problem is."

"You think maybe it's something you ate?"

April shook her head. "No, that can't be it, because I-oh. Uh-oh..." She dropped her microphone and covered her mouth with her hands. Her face was starting to turn green.

Vernon instantly got the message. "Trash can, over there," he pointed to the left. The reporter hurried over to the trash receptacle and puked in it. He walked over to her and soothingly rubbed her back as she finished emptying the contents in her stomach. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin.

"You should go see a doctor right away," he said as he handed her the tissue. "I'll give you a ride to the nearest hospital."

"No, Vernon," April wiped her mouth. "You don't have to do that."

"It's fine, really," Vernon insisted as he led her to the van. She got into the vehicle when her phone started ringing. The screen read, "SHADOW Calling". She pushed the button to answer.

"Hello?" she croaked.

 _"Hey, Mom?"_

"Hey, sweetie. Are you home yet, or are you still with Raph?"

 _"Yeah, I'm still in the lair. Listen, I'm gonna be home late tonight."_

"Late? But it's already after six. Why are you going to be so late?"

 _"You know, ninja stuff."_

She sighed. "Okay, well, I'm need to go to the clinic, so I'm gonna tell your Dad to order pizza tonight and put a couple of slices in the fridge for you. Is that alright?"

 _"Uh-huh."_

"Now you know you can't be out on the streets alone at night. You need to have someone with you."

 _"Yes, Mom, I understand."_

"Have Raph escort you home tonight. No exceptions."

 _"Got it."_

"And be sure to call your Dad on the way back so that the pizza will be warm by the time you get there. I'll also remind him to add bacon and olives. I love you, honey."

 _"Thanks, love you, too. Bye."_

"Bye," she pushed the "End Call" button on her screen.

* * *

Casey sat on the couch watching the hockey game. He turned to look on the clock that was on the shelf next to him.

8:57 P.M.

He began to worry about his daughter and pulled out his phone to call Raph. But then it started ringing and the screen read, "APRIL Calling."

"Red?" he answered.

 _"Hey, Casey."_

"How are you feeling?"

 _"Better. In fact, more than better."_

"What do you mean?"

 _"Honey, I have very exciting news."_

 **Wonder what the exciting news is? :)**

 **This takes place before Shadow runs off to find Slash, which explains her conversation with April on the phone.**


	10. Slash n Snap, Part 3

**OK! Back to Shadow and Snapper! Sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger like that! :)**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

A strangled scream escaped Shadow's throat as Snapper continued to choke her. She clawed helplessly at his scaly arms, which only made him chuckle. He leaned in closer to her face, maliciously licking his jaws with his tongue.

"Well, well, well," he growled. "What do we have here? I recognize you from the grocery store earlier today. You're with that coward Raphael. So he sent you to spy on me, didn't he?"

Shadow began to shake her head, tears in her green eyes, but Snapper only tightened his grip on her neck.

"Don't give me that," he hissed. "Why else would you come looking for Slash and try to take him back? Well, here's what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna tear you apart, limb from limb. Then I'm gonna disembowel you and eat your heart whole. But don't worry, you'll be returned home. At least your head will be. In fact, I'll think I'll start with that." He chuckled darkly as the tears dripped down her cheeks.

He opened his mouth and prepared to bite her head clean off her shoulders...

Then he suddenly let out a piercing scream.

Chompy had a hold of his right leg with his massive jaws and tried to pull him away from Shadow. Snapper let go of her and redirected his attention on Chompy, trying to shake the space turtle off. When Chompy wouldn't loosen his grip, Snapper finally bit into his neck and flung him across the room.

Chompy yelped in pain as he collided with a turbine, his neck bleeding from Snapper's bite. The giant snapping turtle roared as he charged at the injured Chompy, who quickly got back on his feet and charged back. The space turtle took one big leap and crashed into Snapper, knocking him to the ground. The two proceeded to roll around and wrestle with each other. Growls and snarls echoed in the room.

"Come on, Chompy!" Shadow cheered him on from afar. "Get him, boy!"

Unfortantely, Snapper was too strong for Chompy and eventually overpowered him. He bit another huge chunk out of Chompy's neck, and the space turtle screamed shrilly as blood squirted from out of the wound.

"Oh, god!" Shadow immediately ran toward them. "Chompy, no!" Before she could even land a punch, Snapper backhanded her and she hit her head as she fell to the floor.

Everything was hazy for a while. She didn't open her eyes but she could hear an intense ringing, muffled shouting and crashing sounds. Then she felt someone gently nudge her shoulder. She finally opened her eyes and saw a blurry figure looking down at her. Her vision slowly became clear and Chompy's face met hers. He was still bleeding heavily from the neck, but his main concern was Shadow's safety and he continued to nudge her with his snout as he whimpered softly.

Her hearing returned and the ringing faded away. She could hear Slash's angry voice.

"...eave her out of this, Snapper!"

She painfully and slowly lifted her head to see Slash standing protectively in front of her and Chompy. He had his mace out.

"She's just a kid!" he shouted.

Snapper, not feeling the least bit sympathetic, took a threatening step forward, a snarl on his lips. "She's a spy, Slash. Raphael's spy. Don't you see? He's too chicken to face me, himself, so he sent this kid to steal you away from me."

"She's not stealing me," Slash sternly told him. "I'm coming with her willingly."

A look of surprise and hurt appeared on Snapper's face. "Wait, you...you _want_ to leave?"

"Well, _of course_ I want to leave!" Slash snapped. "You've always treated me like a slave instead of a brother! You boss me around and hurt the people I care about! I can't believe I'd ever resort to working with a monster like you, even if it was to survive."

The shocked expression slowly distorted into one of pure rage. "You callin' _me_ a monster? In case you've forgotten, Slash, you and I are _both_ monsters. Not only that, but you're also a traitor. _You_ were the one who left the Mutanimals first, and then you turned your back on Raphael when he looked to you for help. So what makes you think that your old pals will take you back now?"

Snapper's words stabbed Slash's heart and he visibly flinched, but he quickly brushed it aside and stood his ground. "No. They _will_ take me back, because they're my _true_ friends. Unlike you."

Snapper's eye twitched and he clenched his fists. "Well, it's because I'm your friend that I'm giving you one last chance. Who's it gonna be, Slash? Me or Raphael?"

Without hesitation, Slash answered, "I choose Raphael."

As soon as his old partner said those words, Snapper let out a mighty, terrifying roar and charged toward him. The two massive mutant turtles collided and wrestled with each other. As they struggled to overpower each other, Snapper tried to bite at Slash's neck or face, but Slash was too strong and held him back. At one point, he hit Snapper in the face with the mace and he took the opportunity to push him against a turbine. He then proceeded to bang Snapper's head against the machine over and over again, and Shadow thought for sure that he was going to crack the other turtle's skull and kill him. But then Snapper elbowed him in the chest and swiftly spun around, biting Slash in the neck.

Slash screamed as Snapper's jaws sank deeper and he struggled to pry him off. In the midst of the struggle, they both smashed through the windows and continued to roll around on the lawn, shards of broken glass spread about them. Slash finally kicked Snapper away and gripped his bleeding neck, panting heavily and feeling a little bit dizzy. He could feel the blood flowing down his neck and plastron like a stream.

Snapper noticed that he was quickly losing his strength and chuckled. "Not looking too good there, Slash. One second later and your neck would've been snapped in half like a twig." He slowly stepped toward him, licking Slash's blood from his lips. "I warned you not to hurt my feelings. You ain't leaving this place alive, Slash."

He then charged at Slash again with his jaws wide open, but Slash quickly raised his arm and allowed Slash to bite into it before he could reach his face. He grimaced in pain as Snapper dug his teeth into his arm, and he could feel his body getting weaker by the second as the blood continued to flow.

Shadow ran outside and saw Slash struggling to fend Snapper off. Thinking quickly, she looked around for a weapon and noticed the shards of glass that were lying in the glass. She picked one up and dashed toward the duo. Snapper looked up in time to see her aim the shard at his...

He screamed shrilly as the shard embedded itself in his left eye and he stumbled backwards and covered it with his hand. He looked directly at her with his good eye and Shadow immediately knew that she was in for it.

" **YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, BRAT!** " he screamed at the top of his lungs as he lunged at her, but then he fell flat on his face, as Slash quickly grabbed a hold of his leg and dragged him down. Furiously, Snapper kicked him away before coming at Shadow once again. But by then Chompy had jumped in front of her and faced the enraged turtle himself. He puffed out his chest and once Snapper got close enough, he spewed a great amount of fire from his mouth.

The flames completely engulfed Snapper and he screamed in pain and agony, running around like a madman. He reached the railway platform and fell right top of the tracks, stilling burning and writhing. Just then, they all heard the sound of an oncoming train, and in the distance they could see headlights getting brighter as it got closer.

Slash's yellow green eyes widened in horror and he headed for the platform. "SNAPPER!" But then he felt someone grab his arm. He looked down at Shadow who frantically shook her head.

"Slash, don't!" she shouted. "It's too late!"

He looked back at Snapper, who was still screaming as his body continued to burn. The train was getting even closer. Just as it was about to hit Snapper, Slash quickly pulled Shadow close to his plastron and blocked her view. Looking away, himself, he painfully shut his eyes tight as he heard the terrible sound of the train colliding with something massive and heavy. He didn't have to turn around to know that there were guts and limbs flying everywhere.

Even though Snapper was the cruelest and most sadistic reptile he had ever met, he still mourned his old friend.

 _I'm sorry, Snapper. I didn't want it to be this way._

Suddenly, his legs lost of all their strength and he fell to his knees. He heard Shadow's muffled shouts as his vision blackened.

"Slash?! Slash, hang in there... _Slash_...!"

* * *

He broke out of his meditation at the sound of his phone ringing. He pushed the button to answer and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

 _Raph, where's Shadow?_

"April? Wait...you mean Shadow's not home yet?"

 _She called me and said that she'd be home late tonight. But it's already 12:40 am, and she still hasn't come back yet._

Raph began to panic and sprang to his feet. "Did she say why she'd be late?"

 _She only said that it was "ninja stuff"._

He quietly cursed to himself. She must've gone after Slash. "Okay, don't worry. I'm gonna go find her."

 _Raph, what is going on?_

"I'll explain everything later, okay? Gotta go."

He hung up and went to grab his sai from the weapon rack. _Stupid kid! She's gonna get herself killed!_ He heard the dojo doors slide open.

"Hey, Raph?"

"Not now, Karai," he gruffly said as he shoved his weapons into his belt.

"You're going to go look for Shadow, aren't you?"

He whipped his head around and saw Karai leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. He was surprised to find her extremely calm, and a smirk was even on her face. "Um, yeah. How'd you know?"

She gestured in the direction of the living room with her thumb. "She's already back. And she's brought a couple of friends with her."

Confused, Raph ran past Karai and into the living room, and sure enough, Shadow was sitting on the couch with Chompy laying at her feet. Her shirt was covered in dried blood. Was she seriously hurt?

" _Shadow!_ "

She lifted her head at him calling her, dark circles under her eyes. "Oh, hey, Raph," she croaked.

Raph was beyond furious. "Don't 'oh, hey, Raph' me, young lady!" he scolded as he approached her. "What were you thinking?! And why is there blood on your shirt?!"

Shadow groaned and rubbed her eyes. "Jeez, you sound like my Mom. Look, I'm fine, okay? And the blood's not mine."

"Start explaining!" he angrily pointed a finger at her. "Right now!"

"Raphael?"

His eye widened at the sound of that familiar voice and quickly turned around. Stepping out of the kitchen was his old pet and friend Slash, his neck and right arm wrapped in bandages.

The two stared at each other for the longest time before Raph finally broke the silence.

"Slash?" he whispered.

Said turtle greeted him with a nod. "Hey, Raphael. Long time, no see, huh?"

"What..." Raph took slow, sloppy steps toward him. "What are you doing here?"

Slash looked over Raph's shoulder at Shadow and smiled softly. "She brought me back. Convinced me to ditch Snapper."

"She did...?" Raph glanced back at Shadow, who let out a yawn and laid her head on a pillow.

"That is one brave kid, Raphael," Slash chuckled. "And she's very tough, too. Helped me take down Snapper."

Raph stared at the bandages that covered his friend's neck and arm. "Did...did he hurt you?"

Slash shrugged and gently touched his neck. "I'll live. Can't say the same about Snapper, though."

"So all that blood on Shadow's clothes..."

"That's mine. Kid tried to drag me all the way back to the sewers. Luckily, she found some help along the way."

At that moment, Mondo Gecko stepped into the room, as well as a rather familiar-looking mutant chimpanzee with glasses and in a white lab coat.

Raph instantly recognized him. "Dr. Rockwell?" he gasped.

"Hello, Raphael," the chimp smiled and nodded at him. "It has been a while."

"The doc just happened to be in town," Mondo playfully slapped Rockwell on the shoulder, earning a rather displeased look from him. "We were doing some catching up at the café when we saw Shadow dragging a bleeding and unconscious Slash down the street. Luckily, Rockwell was here to fix him up."

"He had lost a considerable amount of blood," Rockwell said while gently patting Slash's shell. "It was fortunate that we had found them when we did."

Slash nodded before looking back at Raph, shame and remorse evident in his eyes. "Raphael?"

Raph swallowed and took a step forward. "Y-Yeah, buddy?"

The larger turtle couldn't look him in the eye and instead focused on the floor. "I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. You were right about Snapper, but I didn't listen. I didn't _want_ to listen. And I let him hurt and humiliate you." His yellow green eyes started to water. "I don't deserve to be called your friend," his voice cracked. He looked over at Rockwell and Mondo. "I turned my back on _all_ of you, and I can only hope that one day you'll find it in you to forgive me."

He jumped at someone gently touching his arm and looked down at Raphael, who was smiling warmly at him.

"I've already forgiven you, my friend," he softly said, his right eye glistening with tears. "I'm just glad that you were able to see the light and break free from Snapper." _You were right, Mikey,_ he silently prayed to his little brother.

Slash felt a lump form in his throat, and he looked back Rockwell and Mondo, who were smiling at him, as well, showing that they, too, forgave him. He closed his eyes and tears flowed down his cheeks as he let out a shaky sigh. "Thank you."

"We'll take care of you, buddy," Mondo said, soothingly rubbing his friend's shell. "Just like the good old days. Right, Rockwell?"

The chimp grunted and nodded in agreement. "Indeed."

Raph turned his attention back to Shadow, who had, by then, fallen asleep on the couch. Chompy slept next at the foot of the couch, snoring and kicking his leg as he continued to dream. Karai gently placed a blanket over her and looked up at Raph, holding out her phone and pointing to it. "I'll call her mother," she mouthed to him before heading into the kitchen.

He nodded before tiptoeing over to the sleeping teen. He gently rubbed her head and fluffed her pillow, being very careful not to wake her. "Thanks, kid," he whispered to her.

 **Ding Dong! Snapper is dead! :P LOL**

 **And Rockwell is back!**

 **Next chapter, Shadow is about to hear some good news. And then even more good news! :)**


	11. Good News And Even Better News

**All I did was delete the Author's note chapter from "A Brother's Love", and it shows up in the Ninja Turtles FanFiction page as though I posted a new chapter. :/ I dunno what happened...?**

 **So we will finally hear April's good news this chapter! (Although it's painfully obvious what the good news is) :)**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes in this chapter, which I will fix later.**

She slowly opened her eyes to the ceiling of the lair.

"Wha...?" she groaned and rubbed her eyes. She realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch. "Oh, man...I slept in my clothes...gross." She grunted and jerked her head up as she suddenly felt something heavy on her stomach. "Oof! Chompy...that hurts."

Chompy removed his paw and started to lick her face. Shadow gently pushed him away and looked over the now closed up wound in his neck. She felt so guilty about what happened to her friend, while at the same time she felt relieved that space turtles have a healing factor.

She scratched the underside of his chin, earning a low, guttural purr. "You saved my life, boy," she whispered. "Thank you."

" _YOU'RE WHAT?!_ "

She nearly jumped off the couch in surprise. _That sounded like Raph. What is he yelling about?_

"April, are you really...?!"

"Yep."

Shadow arched an eyebrow. _Mom? She's here? Aw, crap, she's probably P.O'd about the whole Slash thing._ She stretched herself before sitting up on the couch, and when she looked down at her shirt, she realized that it wasn't the same one that she wore last night. She wasn't even wearing her jeans. Someone had dressed her in her favorite tartan pajamas while she slept, possibly April.

She could hear Raph laughing and realized that they were in the kitchen. "That's awesome news, guys! Wait 'til Shadow hears about this!"

"Yeah, she's gonna flip," she heard her dad say. _Great._ Both _of my parents are here?_ "Should we go wake her now?"

"Nah, let her sleep," Raph said. "Kid's been through a really rough night."

"I still can't believe that she went out on her own," April huffed. "She's not ready yet. She could've been killed."

Shadow rolled her eyes. _Typical overprotective Mom._

"She's just as stubborn as you were when you were her age, Raph," Casey said with a chuckle.

"Hey, at least _I_ didn't go behind Sensei's back," Raph chuckled. "At least, not as much as Leo did, and _he_ was supposed to be the golden boy!"

"Well, let's hope that the baby won't grow up to be rebellious, as well," April said with giggle.

Shadow's green eyes widened. _Wait...did she just say "baby"?_ She immediately got off the couch and walked toward the kitchen. When she peeked her head in, her parents were sitting at the table with Raph and drinking coffee. The Ninja Turtle whipped his head in her direction and smirked.

"Morning, Sunshine," he said as he took sip of his drink. "Sleep well?"

"I guess," she said with a shrug as she entered the kitchen, walking over to where her mother sat. "Hey, Mom."

"Hey, honey," April reached up to rub her back and gave her a warm smile. She didn't seem too mad about last night, much to Shadow's relief.

"So, um, where's Karai?" Shadow asked, noticing that the kunoichi wasn't present.

"She's out grocery shopping," Raph said. "And after that, she's heading to the dry cleaners. You know, to get the blood off your clothes."

Shadow winced and nervously glanced at April. She was hoping that Raph wouldn't bring up that subject around her mother. But April merely nodded and took another sip of her coffee.

"Let's just hope that it _will_ come off," April calmly said. "Otherwise, we'll have to buy her new clothes."

"You _always_ buy her new clothes, Red," Casey joked. "Whether she needs them or not."

"You can never have too many clothes, hon," April told him with a wink. She then looked up her daughter and suddenly held her hand. "Sweetie, your father and I have very exciting news. We wanted to tell you last night, but-"

"You're having a baby, aren't you?" Shadow asked before her mother could finish.

April paused, a stunned expression on her face. Was it a lucky guess or did she overhear their conversation? She cleared her throat before giving Shadow another smile. "Well...yes, honey, I am."

Shadow said nothing for a moment. In fact, her expression was hard for her parents to read. They couldn't tell whether she was happy or upset over the news. Finally, she said, "How's that even possible? You're almost fifty, right?"

Their daughter's reaction surprised them even more, and they stared at her with wide eyes before throwing their heads back and laughing. April laughed so much that she started to cry, and Casey buried his head in his arms while pounding on the table with his fist. The only ones who weren't laughing were Raph and Shadow. Raph had no idea how human fertility worked and looked over at Shadow, being just as confused as she was. The teen merely shrugged her shoulders.

They eventually recomposed themselves and their laughter died down to chuckles and giggles. April dried her tears and looked over at her husband. "Well, we certainly weren't expecting _that_ kind of reaction."

"No kiddin'," Casey chuckled, drying his own tears.

April looked back at her daughter. "You're going to be a big sister, Shadow. Isn't that exciting?"

Shadow only shrugged again. "I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess?" Casey asked incredulously.

"I mean, I don't know," Shadow said. "From what I heard, younger siblings are a real pain in the ass."

" _Shadow!_ " April was absolutely shocked at her daughter's words.

Raph couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, she's not too far from the truth," he mumbled. He could just imagine Mikey sticking his tongue out at him at that moment.

April shot him a "really?" look before turning back to Shadow. "Shadow, you shouldn't think such things. You should be ecstatic that we're having a new member of the family."

Shadow threw her hands in the air, feeling rather annoyed that she was already being scolded. "Well, sorriiieee for not being as excited as you wanted me to be!"

"Come on, hon, cut her some slack," Casey stepped in to defend her daughter. "I acted the same exact way when I found out that I was going to be a big brother."

April let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back in her chair. "You're _always_ defending her, Casey," she grumbled.

Raph quickly wanted to break the tension by changing the subject. He cleared his throat and caught his student's attention. "So, um, Shadow, after your little stunt last night..."

 _Oh, great,_ Shadow prepared herself for some more scolding.

"...I've decided that you're ready for your first patrol."

Shadow's jaw dropped and her eyes bulged out. "Seriously?"

Raph smiled and nodded. "Yep. Starting tonight."

"WHOO-HOO!" she pumped her fist in the air. "YES! FINALLY!" She sprinted into the living room to tell Chompy the exciting news. "Chompy, you hear that?! My first patrol, baby!"

Casey chuckled at his daughter's excitement. April, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Unbelievable. She gets excited over _that_ , but not over the news of the baby."

Raph smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Teenagers. Am I right?"

* * *

 _So...your Mom's having a baby. That's cool._

"How'd you know that?" Shadow was on the phone with Sloane, lying on her bed. She was still exhausted from last night and wanted to get as much rest as possible to prepare for her first patrol with Raphael.

 _Your mom told my mom._

"Of course," Shadow rolled her eyes. Her mother just loved to spread news, whether she's working or not.

 _You excited about having a little brother or sister?_

"I dunno. But one thing's for sure, I am _not_ looking forward to changing some kid's diapers."

 _Tell me about it. Whenever I change my sister's, I feel like I could throw up. And even my puke doesn't smell half as bad as her load._

"...Okay, are you trying to make _me_ throw up?"

She could hear Sloane laughing on the other line. _Anyway, the reason I called is because Danny asked about you._

Shadow immediately sat up. "He-he did?"

 _Yep. Ran into him in the mall yesterday._

A flush appeared on her cheeks. "Well, what did he say? I-I mean, what did he want to know?"

 _He wanted to know what day and time you'd be available._

Shadow thought her heart would jump right through her chest. "What, uh, what did-did he mean by 'available'? A-Available for what?"

 _Girl, you know what he meant!"_

"He...no. No, he doesn't mean by...really?'

 _He had that look in his eye the whole time he was talking about you. He wants you, baby._

She dropped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling in disbelief. "He wants...to ask me out?"

 _Before you know it, you two will be kissing and touching each other's butts._

"Oh, my god. Did you seriously just say that?"

 _And then butt touching comes the-_

"Okay, you know what? Stop, okay? Just stop. I gotta go anyway. Errands to run."

 _Like what kind of errands?_

"You know, just...errands."

 _Well, uh, okay. See you Monday, I guess?_

"Yeah, see you then. Bye." She hung up and let out a squeal, smiling wide ear to ear. "Omigod, omigod, omigod! He wants to ask me out! Can this night get any better?!"

* * *

Later that night, Shadow sat anxiously on the dojo floor as Raph looked over the weapon rack. She couldn't wait to see what type of weapon she would use in her war against the Foot. Maybe the katana, or the nunchucks, or even that sweet-looking kanabo. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Raph turned to face her, hiding something behind his shell.

"On the day you graduate as a kuniochi," he said softly, "you will be given the Hamato katanas. They were originally Leo's heirlooms, but since he..." Briefly, there was sadness in his eye and he looked away for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "Since Leo's no longer a member of the Hamato Clan, they will instead be passed on to you, when you are ready, that is."

Shadow's eyes sparkled and she smiled. She imagined herself slicing her enemies right in half with the katanas like a badass kuniochi.

"But until then," Raph smiled at her, "you will use this weapon."

He revealed the weapon and handed it to her. The smile on her face immediately dropped when she saw that he was holding a simple wooden sword.

"It's called a bokken," he told her as she took it from him. "Normally, it's used in training sessions, but it could be used as a weapon."

She looked up at him like he was crazy. "You've got to be kidding me. Mom got to use a-a tessen, but I get a _stick_?"

Raph chuckled. "Yeah, well, when in the hands of experts, that _stick_ can be used to break bones or even kill someone."

Shadow didn't buy it and scowled at the weapon in her hands. "I seriously think that I'm gonna break this thing with one whack."

Her Sensei merely walked over to the chest of drawers and opened the bottom drawer. He reached in and took out what appeared to be a mask. It was shaped like a fox and was white with a black nose, red whiskers, and a red mouth. He knelt down in front of Shadow and handed it to her.

"Because the Foot already know about you," he said with a serious expression, "you'll need to conceal your identity as long as you're patrolling with me. If they find out that you're following in your mother's footsteps, then they'll surely hunt you down and slit your throat while you sleep."

Shadow shuddered and looked down at the fox mask before putting it over her face. She tightened the strap behind her head and got up to look at herself in the mirror. It actually looked pretty cool. She looked like an Anbu ninja from her favorite anime _Naruto_. "I have to wear this all night?" she asked him.

He nodded. "All night. Never take it off." He walked over to her and slapped her on the shoulder. "So...you ready, kid?"

Behind her mask, Shadow smiled widely. "You bet!"

* * *

Behind her mask, Shadow yawned. "This is soooo boring!"

She and Raph stood at the ledge of a building, the full moon peeking through the clouds above them. They stood like that for hours, and so far nothing has happened. The Ninja Turtle glanced at the fidgeting teen who rested her chin in her hands.

"Get used to it, kid," he gruffly told her. "Every patrol won't be filled with action and butt-kicking, you know."

"So we just stand here and do nothing all night?" Shadow huffed.

"Pretty much. Unless something exciting happens, which doesn't 50% of the time." Raph chuckled to himself as the teen let out another groan. Casey was right: he and Shadow were so much alike.

After a few more minutes of silence, save for the cars honking below them, Shadow spoke once again. "Raph, I need to ask you something."

"Hmmm?" Raph turned to look at her.

"A lot of people whom I never met or heard of before claim to know me. I mean, first it was that Bishop guy, then Mondo, and now Slash. I just...you know...have this feeling that you guys are keeping something from me. Are you?"

Raph nervously scratched at his arm and looked away. He certainly wasn't expecting this conversation, and now he _really_ wanted something exciting to happen right about now. "Um...well, you see, Shadow..."

"You _do_ know something that I don't," she took a step toward him. "What is it? Tell me."

 _Oh, great,_ he thought to himself. _How do I get out of this one?_ "Shadow, look...uh...I can't-"

Suddenly, Shadow whipped her head to the north and let out a gasp. "Look!" she pointed to something.

He followed her gaze and saw a shadowy figure standing on top of another in the distance, and seconds later the stranger jumped out of sight, as though he knew that he had been detected. Fearing the worst, Raph took out his sai and stepped closer to Shadow, his protective instincts taking over.

"Shadow," he said in a hushed tone, "whatever happens, stay close to me, okay?"

"Got it," she gripped the handle of her wooden sword tightly and kept her guard up. Inside, she was beaming. _All right! Finally some action!_

"Follow me," he told her before suddenly jumping onto the next rooftop.

"Hey-Hey, wait!" she struggled to keep up with Ninja Turtle as he continued to jump from one building to the next. She was panting and her heart was going 120 miles per hour. "Raph, wait up! I-I can't-"

"Keep up with me, kid!" he shouted to her over his shoulder as he continued to run and jump with an incredible speed.

She was about to make another jump when she somehow managed to trip over a ledge. She screamed as she fell... right into a dumpster. Luckily, the garbage cushioned her landing, but she let a groan of disgust as she swam her way through the countless pieces of trash and unfinished lunches. When she finally resurfaced, she could hear Raph calling down to her.

"KID! YOU OKAY?!"

She tried to dust the garbage off her clothes, hoping that the ketchup wouldn't stain. "Yeah! I'm fine!" _So much for my first patrol. This sucks. Big time._

"Don't move, all right?! I'm coming down there to help you!"

"Yeah, right," she mumbled. Not wanting to spend another minute in the dumpster, Shadow disobeyed her Sensei and climber out of the dumpster, but as her feet touched the pavement, she suddenly sensed someone watching her from behind. Slowly, she turned her head...

Golden eyes stared into her green ones.

 **Who's this stranger? Is it a friend or foe? Or neither? We'll just have to wait and find out... ;)**


	12. The Tricks Of The Fox, Part 1

**So we'll get to know who our mysterious golden-eyed spy is in this chapter. 0.0**

 **And there will be a surpise character appearance at the end. ;)**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes in this chapter which I will fix later.**

"Something tells me you aren't dumpster diving."

Shadow gasped softly as she saw a female fox mutant in a purple body suit leaning against the brick wall in front of her. She smiled slyly at the teen, her long bushy tail wagging slightly behind her.

"I saw you jumping between the buildings moments ago," the fox said. "Let me guess, first day on the job?"

Shadow didn't know whether to speak to this stranger or flee immediately. She kept her eyes on the fox's sword that was attached to her belt. Just one swipe of that thing and her own sword would be sliced in half.

 _Darn it, Raph. You couldn't have at least given me a_ real _sword to defend myself with?_ "...Um, yeah," she meekly said.

"Well," the fox took a few steps forward, swaggering a bit, "a rookie such as yourself shouldn't be out alone on the streets, especially at this hour."

"I'm not alone," Shadow immediately answered while taking a step back. "My Sensei is with me."

The fox raised an eyebrow and a somewhat amused smile formed on her lips. "Oh?"

"Y-Yeah. In fact, he'll be here any second." _Come on, Raph! Hurry up!_

The mutant chuckled. "You seem a little nervous. What, are you completely helpless without your master?"

Shadow tried to put on a brave face, but then she remembered that she was wearing a mask, so she straightened her posture and took a defiant step forward. "I'm not afraid of you. I can take you on anytime." _WHY DID I JUST SAY THAT?! AM I NUTS?! SHE'LL TOTALLY SLAUGHTER ME!_

The fox's golden eyes focused on the wooden sword in Shadow's belt. "Do you honestly plan on fighting me with that stick?"

"Bokken, actually."

Never before had Shadow felt such relief upon hearing that familiar voice. Both she and the fox turned to see Raph standing at the other end of the alley, his twin sai drawn out and his eye white and narrowed. Slowly, he walked toward them, pointing one of his sai at the mutant.

"I thought I told you to stop stalking me," he growled threateningly at her, stepping protectively in front of Shadow. "And now you're challenging my student? You've got some nerve, you know that?"

The fox wasn't intimidated at all and merely smiled at him. She even gave him a wink. "Hello again, Raphael."

Shadow looked at her and then at Raph confused. "Um, another friend of yours?"

Raph kept his eye on the fox, never once looking away even as he spoke to his student. "Hardly a friend. More like a stalker."

The mutant fox held out her clawed hand to Shadow. "The name's Ninjara. Nice to meet you."

Wanting to be polite, Shadow reached to shake Ninjara's hand, but Raph stopped her by swiftly grabbing her wrist. She looked back at him and saw that he still had that same murderous glare that was directed only at the fox.

"Why were you spying us?" he demanded.

Ninjara chuckled. "I wasn't. I was actually looking for someone."

"Looking for who, exactly?"

"The Serpent."

Raph visibly tensed and widened his right eye before narrowing it again. He tightened his grip on the handles of his sai to the point that Shadow thought he would actually snap them in half. "What do you want with the Serpent?" he asked her in a low but cold voice.

"What's it to you?" Ninjara crossed her arms. "I thought we weren't even friends."

"Don't give me that," he hissed. "I never once told you my real name, yet somehow you know it. And if you know my name, then you know about my connection to the Serpent."

"Relax, handsome," Ninjara held her hands up defensively. "I just do my homework, okay? Is that a crime?" When he didn't answer that question, she continued. "The reason I'm looking for him is because I want to work with him."

Raph raised an invisible eyebrow. "You? Working with _him_? Why?"

"What can I say?" she said with a shrug. "He's amazingly skilled in ninjustu. Better than me, that's for sure. Not to mention that he's so dark and mysterious. My kind of guy."

"Or perhaps like him," Raph growled, "you won't hesitate on slitting other people's throats?"

"Just the bad guys."

"They're still _people_!" Raph shouted angrily. "The Serpent is a murderer. Plain and simple. And if you're interested in someone like him, then you must be a murderer, too."

Ninjara snorted and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, and _you've_ never killed anyone before?"

Raph opened his mouth to say "no" but the word got stuck in his throat. The truth was he _had_ killed before. In the woods of North Hampton, he slew the mutants who had posed a threat to him. But even though it was for self-defense, he would still feel guilty about taking someone's life. So instead of answering Ninjara's question, he could only glance to the side and remain silent.

Ninjara got the message and smirked. "That's what I thought. Now of you'll excuse me, I've got a date with the Serpent." She turned and started to walk down the alley.

"Hold it."

She stopped and turned to smile at Raph. "What? Are you jealous? 'Fraid I might end up liking the Serpent more than you?"

"That's got nothing to do with this," Raph snapped. "I've already made it clear that I'm not interested in you and I never will be. It's just that I need to have a talk with my brother. And besides, I don't trust you. I want to be there with him in case you try something funny."

"So you're going to help me find him?"

"As much as I don't want to, yes."

Ninjara seemed rather pleased by this and clapped her hands once. "Well, alright, then! Finally, we get to spend some quality time. And Rookie can come with us. Perhaps she'll learn a thing or two from the Serpent."

"Hey, my name's not Rookie!" Shadow snapped and crossed her arms. "It's...um..." _Remember what Raph said, don't reveal my real name to anyone. Let's see, Kunoichi? No. Lady Ninja? No. Fox Girl?_

"Just call her Venus," Raph quickly answered for her.

Shadow looked at her Sensei in disbelief. "What?! No! That's so lame!"

Raph glanced over at her. "You prefer 'Kid' or 'Rookie'? We'll discuss this later, okay?" He then bent down on knee, presenting his shell to her. "Hop on."

"Seriously?" Shadow huffed. "A piggyback ride?"

"We'll get there quicker this way. It's clear that you're not ready to jump across buildings at a fast pace yet."

"I can do it! Besides, I'm not five-"

The Ninja Turtle immediately shut her up by glaring at her with his eye. Not wanting to argue with him any further, the masked teen climbed onto his shell and wrapped her arms around his neck, while he supported her legs with his arms. She could feel her face get hot, and not because of the heat of the mask. She hadn't been given piggyback rides by her dad since she was seven. That embarrassment was quickly replaced with fear, though, as Raph took one big leap toward the brick wall, headfirst.

"Whoa, hey, Raph! What are you-?!"

But instead of crashing into it, he bounced off of it and landed on the opposite wall behind them, repeating the process a couple of times before he finally reached the rooftop. Shadow let out a sigh of relief as he started to run across the buildings. Ninjara was in front of them, sprinting across the buildings at such an incredible speed. Shadow was amazed by Raph's abilituy to keep with her, especially since he was carrying such a heavy load on his back.

* * *

The alarm set off as three men dressed entirely in black and wearing platinum Oni masks smashed through the entrance door. Two of them held a crowbar and a large bag in each bag, and their leader signaled for them to split up. They did was they were instructed and immediately began smashing glass cases, which contained ancient artifacts. The leader kept watch at the front entrance, his hand close to the sheathed sword that was attached to his belt.

As the other two men worked at a fast pace, a hidden figure in the shadows watched them with bloodthirsty, white eyes. He slowly reached behind his back with both arms to unsheathe his katanas...

* * *

"No doubt _this_ is where we'll find the Serpent," Ninjara looked over a ledge at the recently broken-in museum before them, the alarm bell ringing loudly.

Raph stopped running and bent down to allow Shadow to climb off, huffing and puffing. The teen looked down at her Sensei in worry and gently placed a hand on his sweaty shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" she softly asked him.

He looked up at her and smirked. "Oh, yeah," he said while panting heavily. "I'm fine. Just wish that I were a few years younger."

"So," Ninjara turned to face Raph and Shadow, "how are we going to approach him? Let him do his work before barging in there?"

Raph stood back up and crackled his neck. "No way. No one else is dying on _my_ watch. We go in there _now_." He then started to climb down the building with Shadow following close behind. But just before she climbed over the ledge, she noticed Ninjara fiddling with a phone, as though she were texting someone.

And suddenly, for some reason, Shadow got a very bad feeling in her gut.

"What are you doing?" she asked the fox, who looked up and quickly shoved the phone under her belt.

"Oh, nothing," Ninjara gave her a somewhat tense smile and walked past her, but not before playfully slapping the teen on the shoulder. "Let's get going, kid."

Shadow watched her with suspicious eyes before following her. By the time she had reached the ground, both Ninjara and Raph were already dashing through the front entrance of the museum. "Hey, wait up, guys!" she called out to them as she ran across the street.

* * *

"Darn it...!" Raph cursed under breath as he walked up to the two dead bodies that were lying on the floor, blood splattered about them. Judging by the slashes across their chests, they were, no doubt, slaughtered by the Serpent. Ninjara appeared at his side and inspected the crime scene with him, clicking her tongue and shaking her head.

"Never stood have a chance," she murmured.

"We were too late," Raph kicked a nearby bloodied crowbar across the floor in frustration. Just how many more people had to die at the hands of his brother?

"What happened?" Shadow came running into the building. "Where's-? Oh, my god..." she placed a hand over the mask's snout at the sight of the bodies on the floor. Her legs started to wobble and Raph swiftly caught her before she dropped to the ground.

"Kid?" Raph helped her back to her feet. "Kid, are you okay?"

"Um, no," she replied in a shaky voice. "No, I'm not. I mean, I'm seeing freakin' _bodies_."

Ninjara scoffed. "You think _this_ is brutal? I've seen much worse."

Raph instantly glared at the fox. "Know what? Just keep your mouth shut until we find Leo."

" _If_ we ever find him," Ninjara looked back down at the bodies. "He's already gotten his prey, so there's no reason for him to st-"

She was cut off by a loud crashing sound that came from the other side of the building.

"Huh. Guess I spoke too soon."

Raph felt like his heart skip a beat as soon as he heard that sound. _Leo...!_

Fearing for his brother's life, as well as the burglar's, Raph dashed down the hallway. Shadow briefly glanced back at Ninjara as she followed after him.

"Ninjara, let's go!" she gestured for her to follow. But after just a few more steps down the hallway, she felt someone roughly grab her by the hood and pull her back. She looked back, and to her shock, Ninjara was dragging her back to the front entrance.

"What the-?!" She struggled to break herself free of Ninjara's grasp, but the fox was stronger. "Ninjara, what are you doing?!"

"Saving you," she heard Ninjara say in a rather serious tone. She managed to drag Shadow outside before the teen finally broke free.

"Saving me?! From what?!" Shadow demanded. "Raph needs us in there!"

Ninjara refused to move and crossed her arms, a grim look on her face. "Trust me, Rookie, you don't want to be caught in the middle of this. You'll thank me after this is all over."

Shadow didn't like the sound of that all. "After what is over?"

* * *

" **LEO?!** "

Raph ran through the halls, which felt like a maze. He listened and listened to the crashing sounds that continued to shake the building, but no matter where he turned, he was no closer to the source. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he ran into a large room and saw his brother, the Serpent, facing off against a lone masked man, who wielded a samurai sword.

"LEO!"

At the sound of Raph's frantic voice, Leo whipped his head around and was shocked to see his little brother standing there. The burglar saw this distraction as an opportunity to strike and charged at the Turtle.

Fortunately, Leo sensed him coming and quickly dodged the blade. He then pulled a katana over his head. Raph immediately knew what was about to happen next.

"Leo, don't do-!"

Leo sliced right down the middle of the man's metal mask. For a moment, the stranger stood very still, then blood started to trickle down from underneath the mask and down his throat. He fell to the floor, limp and dead.

Raph felt his heart sunk. He failed to save another person from his brother's wrath.

Leo sheathed his swords and stared at Raph in silence for a moment, before he spoke in a low, somber voice.

"What are you doing here, Raph?"

Raph took a deep breath before he started slowly walking over to him. "I came to talk to you, Leo."

Leo closed his eyes and shook his head. "Raph, we've been through this before-"

"Just...!" Raph calmed himself and lowered his tone. Yelling certainly wasn't going to help. "Just listen, okay? I realize that I can't force you to change your path. You have to do that, yourself. But I wouldn't be a good brother if I didn't try to reason with you, no matter how many times you push me away. But that's not why I followed you here. This fox chick, Ninjara, she's interested in you for some reason. She said she wants to work with you, but I don't trust her one bit. So I came here to warn you to be on your guard."

Leo seemed a bit suprised by these news. "Wait...fox chick?"

"Yeah," Raph snorted. "She's also my stalker, always trying to flirt with me. Now I get how April felt when Donnie used to-" He stopped talking when he noticed Leo kneeling down over a body and reaching to touch his mask. "Leo, what is it?"

Leo didn't answer but lightly tapped the Oni mask, which instantly split right in half, revealing the man's face.

Only it wasn't a man. A fox-like mutant stared up at the ceiling with dead yellow eyes, the laceration from the sword running down in between his eyes and bleeding heavily. Leo's midnight blue eyes widened in alarm.

Raph noticed his brother's tension and knew that something was wrong. "Leo, what's wro-"

He then suddenly felt something hard and cold touching his throat. He instantly froze, recognizing it to be a blade. When Leo turned his head and saw his brother being held captive, he was on his feet and had his swords drawn out again within seconds. A mixture of fear and anger was in his expression as he looked over Raph's shoulder and directly at the assailant.

"Let him go," he growled threateningly. "Now."

Raph heard a sharp female voice speak up from behind him. "You've brought this upon yourself and your family, Leonardo."

Very slowly and slightly, Raph turned his head and was met with a familiar face and pair of hazel eyes. He gasped softly.

"Alopex?"

 **GASP! Alopex?! What does she want with Leo and Raph?! D:**

 **Also, I did my best trying to describe Raph's climbing up the walls with Shadow on his back, but I'm not really good with action scenes. :/**


	13. The Tricks Of The Fox, Part 2

**I am on a roll here! Posting another chapter so soon! LOL**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"Alopex?"

The mutant ninja fox looked the same as she did thirty years ago. Same purple ninja outfit and same bandana with the same symbol. The only thing different about her was that her face had aged a bit with crow's feet around her eyes.

"Hello, Turtle Boy," she greeted Raph in a cold voice before pressing the blade of her kusarigama closer to his throat. There was a murderous look in her hazel eyes. "And goodbye."

 _Goodbye?!_

Raph's heart began to pound with fear as he felt the blade slowly pierce his scaly skin and blood flowing down his throat.

"No, wait!" Leo shouted in alarm, reaching out to the duo and taking a step forward. "Alopex, please, don't hurt Raph. He's got nothing to do with this."

The Ninja Turtle looked back at his brother in confusion. "What do you mean by that? Leo, what did you _do_?"

With what seemed to be a look of remorse on his face, Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Alopex beat him to it.

"He killed Takeshi," she whispered painfully. "He murdered my brother thirty years ago."

"Your brother...?" Raph suddently remembered that Tiger Claw's real name was Takeshi, and that he was Alopex's older brother. And thirty years ago, after Mikey's death, Leo stormed into Shredder's headquarters and killed him along with his henchmen, including the mutant tiger.

He heard Alopex let out a shaky sigh. "And then he greatly dishonored me...by cutting off my tail."

 _He did what...?_

Raph slightly turned his head, wanting to see this for himself. Sure enough, the large, bushy tail that used to wag behind Alopex was gone. He didn't want to believe that Leo would do something so cruel and he looked at him with a pleading eye.

Leo's guilty expression said it all.

"No, Leo," Raph sadly said. "You didn't."

"He did," Alopex snapped. "And I will never forgive him for it..."

* * *

 ** _Flashback: Thirty Years Ago_**

 _"You killed him..."_

 _Alopex gripped her twin kusarigama tighter and snarled at the seemingly apathetic Turtle in black. The two faced each other on a rooftop, and it was pouring down rain. The water soaked her red-brown fur and blending in with her tears._

 _When her colleagues informed her of the Shredder's demise, she was greatly relieved. Now that his boss was dead, perhaps his brother would finally change his ways and return home with her. They could start over and be a family again. But then to her horror, they told her that Tiger Claw, along with the rest of the Shredder's henchmen, had been slaughtered by Leonardo as well. Her dreams of reconciling with her brother were completely shattered, and Leonardo was to blame for all of this. She had spent sleepless nights for her brother's murderer. She would definitely find him, even if she had to turn the whole city upside down._

 _Finally, on a stormy night, her search came to an end._

 _"Why?" she demanded._

 _The Serpent remained stone-faced. "Why do you care? You hated him, anyway."_

 _"He was my BROTHER_ _!" Alopex shouted in fury. "No matter what happened between us, his was still the only family I had left! And now I am all alone! Are you proud of yourself?!"_

 _Briefly, there was remorse in his midnight blue eyes before they become cold and emotionless once again. "You're not the only one who has suffered a great loss," he coldly told her. "What you don't know is that your brother helped the Shredder torture and murder MY brother. He held me down and forced me to watch every second of it. At least_ his _death was quick and painless. Mikey suffered for five agonizing minutes. The truth is...your brother had it coming."_

 _Alopex wouldn't back down and continued to glare hatefully at him. "What was it you told me? 'Revenge only leads to more pain'?"_

 _Leo scoffed and shook his head. "Empty words. That's all they ever were. Back then, I was blindly following a dirty, hypocritical old rat. Well, not anymore. I am my own man, now. I choose my own path."_

 _"And you chose the path of vengeance?" Alopex hissed._

 _To her surprise, Leo smirked devilishly. "Yeah, and I've never felt so alive."_

 _That was the last straw. He was as good as dead._

 _"Not for long," Alopex whispered before letting out a war cry. At an incredible speed, she charged at him with her kusarigama. Leo swiftly dodged her attacks, but he never drew his swords out. He just kept dodging._

 _"I don't want to fight you, Alopex!" he shouted as he jumped onto the next building. But Alopex kept chasing him, hell-bent on decapitating him. They jumped from one rooftop to the next, and the every now and then, Alopex would throw shurikens at Leo, some of which managed to embed themselves in his shell. But even though he was injured, Leo continued to sprint across the buildings and eventually they reached the city's water tower._

 _As he quickly climbed up the ladder, Alopex took a giant leap toward him and aimed the blade at his neck. Leo anticipated her move and blocked the blade with his katana. Even as they climbed, they continued to fight._

 _"Alopex!" Leo grunted as he blocked another attack. "I said I won't fight you!"_

 _"Then you will die!" Powered by her hatred and frustration, she managed to knock the katana out of his hand and headbutted him, causing him to lose his grip and fall to the rooftop._

 _He landed painfully on his shell and groaned, but he didn't have time to rest, as Alopex jumped off the ladder and charged in at him headfirst. He rolled away in time and the blades missed him by a few inches. He drew out his other katana and resumed the duel with her once again. The sounds of the blades clashing mixed in with the loud thunder. Lightning flashed across the sky as the battle grew more and more intense by the minute. Leo knew that he was running out of options, and he stopped fighting her for a moment to climb back up the tower._

 _"Come and face me, coward!" Alopex spat as she chased after him again. Like before, she prepared to leap at him as he continued to climb. But just as she jumped, another lightening bolt flashed rather closely to the tower and temporarily blinded her. Leo used this distraction as an opportunity to strike and charged at her._

 _Through her distorted vision, Alopex made a familiar silhouette that was coming down at her and tried to dodge him._

 _But it was too late._

* * *

"After that, he left me there on that rooftop, wounded and humiliated," Alopex still kept the blade at Raph's neck as she continued her story. "On that night, I made it my goal to hunt down Leonardo and tear his heart out the way he tore out mine. Throughout the years, I took in young people from across the country, people who by fortune had mutated into fox humanoids, and trained them into mighty, honorable warriors. Together, we formed the Fox Clan of New York, and our mission was to assassinate the infamous Serpent vigilante."

"So this was all a trap," Leo said. "You sent some of your men to rob this museum so that you lure me out of hiding."

Alopex nodded. "Yes, and it seems to have worked perfectly, since you cannot resist slaughtering criminals."

Raph looked down at the slain fox ninja on the floor. "You...sent these men to their deaths? Just so you could take revenge on one person?"

"They were my most loyal soldiers," Alopex angrily told him. "They were more than willing to die for their mission."

"And Ninjara? Was she in on this, too?"

* * *

"You tricked us?!"

Meanwhile, outside the museum, Ninjara was confessing to Shadow about the plan that she helped set up.

"Look, kid, it's nothing personal," Ninjara shrugged. "Just business. My Sensei has a score to settle with the Serpent."

"Okay, fine!" Shadow pointed to herself. "But what does this have to do with me and Raph?!"

"Not you. Just Raphael."

"Why?! He never did anything to you!"

"That's true, but he's the Serpent's brother. So when the news spread that he returned to New York, Master Alopex sent me to find him and gain his trust, maybe even seduce him." She chuckled and shook her head. "But I guess he prefers to be single. Nevertheless, I managed to get him to help me find the Serpent, and in the process, have them reunite again. You see, Raph is a crucial part of the plan, because..."

* * *

"...since you decapitated my brother," Alopex snarled at Leonardo from behind Raph, "I figured it'd only be fair if I were to decapitate yours." She pressed the blade even deeper into Raph's neck, drawing more blood.

Leo's eyes widened. "No!" He started to run toward them, desperate to save Raph,

"Stop right there!" Alopex shouted.

Immediately, the Turtle stopped running, not wanting to risk his little brother getting killed.

"Alopex," Raph rasped, the pain in his throat worsening, "please don't do this. Don't stoop to his level. You're better than this. I know you are."

Alopex shook her head. "It's too late, Raphael," she said with a bit of sadness in her voice. "I can't trust _either_ of you anymore." She then glared at Leo again. "If you have anything to say to your brother, you'd better say it quickly."

"Wait!" Leo dropped both of his swords, letting them clatter to the floor. "Alopex, if you wish to kill someone..." He fell to his knees and bowed his head in submission. "...then kill me."

Raph started to protest. "Leo, no...!"

"Let Raph go," Leo softly said, his head still bowed, "and I'll let you kill me right here, right now."

Alopex raised an eyebrow. "So you are submitting yourself to me?"

"Yes. I can't bear to lose another brother. I just can't." He said the last sentence barely below a whisper.

Raph's heart broke at the sight of his oldest brother and former leader being so broken and submissive. He clearly still blamed himself for what happened to Mikey, and even though he was no longer their leader, he still looked after his younger brothers and would do anything to protect them, even if it meant sacrificing his life.

For a moment, the real Hamato Leonardo was there instead of the Serpent.

"How noble," Alopex apathetically said, "but it's far too late for that."

* * *

"So...so Alopex...is going to kill Raph, too?"

"That's the plan."

Shadow began to panic. "No! No!" She sprinted toward the entrance. "I've got to help-!"

Ninjara swiftly moved and blocked her way, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Can't let you do that. Sorry."

"Move, Ninjara!" Shadow angrily shouted.

"Come on, kid, we have no beef with you. Just turn around and go back home."

Shadow would have none of it and pulled the bokken from out of her belt. Ninjara merely laughed at her, amused by the young one's stupidity.

"Are you serious right now?" the fox chuckled.

"I'm going in there to save my Sensei," Shadow said audaciously. "And you can't stop me."

Ninjara scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You're going to try to fight us with a stick?"

"It's called a bokken!" Shadow corrected her. "And yes! I'll take you on if I have...wait, did you say, 'us'?"

The fox smiled slyly. "Look up."

Nervously, she lifted her head and gasped when she saw shadowy figures staring down at her from the rooftops of the buildings surrounding her. There seemed to have been about twenty of them. Quickly, she realized that she was outnumbered. But...

 _"You...you really think I can do it?" she asked him._

 _Raph smirked and nodded his head. "I do...and not just because you're April and Casey's kid."_

Gripping the bokken even tighter, Shadow raised it over her head and charged at Ninjara while letting out a war cry.

* * *

"Alopex," Leo lifted his head, looking up at her with pleading eyes. "You have every reason to hate me, and I'll accept the consequences of my actions. But please...please don't hurt my brother."

While Leo continued to plead, Raph slowly reached into his belt and pulled out a smoke bomb, being extremely careful not to let Alopex notice. The fox continued to argue with the Serpent, unaware of what the Ninja Turtle was doing.

"Enough talk," Alopex spat. "Say goodbye to your brother, Leonardo."

Realizing that it was time to take action, Raph threw the smoke bomb down on the ground, and the two mutants disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Leo panicked as he stared at the spot they were standing on just seconds ago.

"Raph...!"

...

Alopex coughed as the smoke filled her lungs, and before she could realize what was happening, Raph elbowed her in the gut, causing her to let go of him. He backed away to the other side of the room they were now in and gripped his bleeding neck with one hand while grabbing a sai with the other.

"Alopex," Raph said in a pained voice, "this has got to stop."

"Agreed," the fox growled as she took out her other kusarigama. "No more playing around. You die _now_."

"I'm only trying to keep you from getting killed!" Raph snapped. "I can't just stand by and let Leo take another life! Now I'm asking you for the last time: leave here now while you have the chance!"

But Alopex refused to listen and charged at him. Raph had no choice but to draw out his other sai and block her swift attacks. But the more he moved, the worse the pain in his throat grew, and he could feel the blood pouring down his neck.

Then Alopex kicked him in the gut and sent him crashing into a glass display case of ancient artifacts.

* * *

Ninjara kicked Shadow against the brick wall, and the teen painfully slid down to the ground. The pain in her back was excruciating.

 _Now I know how Grandpa feels_ , she thought to herself.

The fox mutant lazily rested her sword on her shoulder. "Stay down, kid. For your own sake."

Hissing in pain but refusing to back down, Shadow slowly got back on her feet, still holding the bokken in her hand.

Ninjara snorted in disbelief. "Are you crazy or something? Clearly, you don't stand a chance against me, let alone the entire Fox Clan. In fact, the only reason _they_ haven't made a move yet is because they know that you're a rookie."

Shadow chuckled weakly. "Yeah, well, you'll find that I'm just as stubborn as my Sensei."

"Well, you've got guts, I'll give you that," Ninjara snickered and twirled the blade playfully.

Frustrated and hurting, Shadow once again charged at Ninjara, swinging the bokken at her wildly. But Ninjara easily dodged her every attack, and this went on for two solid minutes. The other masked fox ninjas watched the duel from above the buildings, entertained by the human's fruitless efforts to land a blow on their comrade.

Finally, Ninjara decided to end it by slashing Shadow's shoulder with her blade, though the wound wasn't deep enough to be fatal. But it was enough to have Shadow dropping to her knees and gripping her wound.

"Ah! God...!" Shadow groaned and hissed as the blood flowed in between her fingers.

Ninjara merely laughed at the girl's pain. "See? I could've easily killed you five minutes ago. You still have a lot to learn, Rookie."

* * *

Raph groaned and hissed as he pulled a shard of broken glass out of his arm. Then he noticed a shadow looming over him. He looked up and saw Alopex preparing to bring down her twin kusarigama. Her cold hazel eyes stared straight into his one eye. They had a predatory look in them.

"Goodbye, Raphael," she said in a low, blood-chilling voice before she brought down her blades with full force.

Raph closed his eye and braced himself for the pain. But then he heard the sound of the blades clashing with something and he felt nothing. He opened his eye to see that Leo had shielded him with his katanas. The Serpent glared at the fox with white, bloodthirsty eyes.

Raph knew that Alopex was in for it now.

Leo furiously pushed Alopex back and engaged in a fierce duel with her. Soon, they stumbled out of the room, and Raph was alone with the artifacts and spears and-

 _Wait a minute._

Raph got up and went over to the glass display case of spears that had once been used by ancient warriors. He really didn't want to do it, but he shattered the glass with his elbow and took one. He was disgusted with himself for acting like a common thief, but his brother's life depended on it. He tapped the tip of the spear, which, to his relief, was still sharp.

Running down the halls with the spear in his hand, Raph felt like he was the Green Man again.

* * *

They were now on the rooftop, still clashing their blades. Two predators, the Serpent and and the Fox, fought viciously and were empowered by their thirst for blood.

At one point, Leo had managed to slash Alopex's leg, and the mutant fox didn't have time to let up and inspect her wound as the Turtle brought down his sword again seconds later. The blade missed her neck by a mere inch, and for the first time in her life, Alopex was afraid.

But she wouldn't let that fear take control and continued to fight on. For what seemed like an eternity, they fought each other to the fullest...

...until eventually Alopex slashed both of Leo's arms and kicked him, sending him sliding to the ledge of the building.

Blood ran like rivers down Leo's arms and he could only move them ever so slightly. He absolutely hated to admit defeat, but he was smart enough to know when to retreat. He knelt over the ledge, preparing to escape, but then Alopex's harsh voice stopped him.

"There's no use trying to escape, Leonardo. You are surrounded."

Leo looked around him, and to his dismay, he found more of Alopex's men standing on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. He was indeed trapped. Trapped like a prey.

He was too distracted to see Alopex leap at him. The other foxes held their breath, waiting for their master to finally slay the Serpent...

...but then to their horror, a spear came flying out of nowhere and pierced right through her shoulder in midair.

In what seemed like slow motion, Alopex fell to her apparent death. Ninjara looked up in time to see her Sensei falling and her eyes widened in shock and her mouth opened in a silent scream.

But then a fox ninja caught her before she hit the ground and gingerly held her in his arms.

"MASTER ALOPEX!" Ninjara dashed over to her fallen Sensei and looked down at her worry and dread. The other fox ninjas dropped down from the buildings and surrounded her.

Then to their great relief, Alopex slowly opened her eyes and let out a pained groan, before she went into a coughing fit and spat out blood.

"Don't worry."

They all turned to see Raphael standing at the front entrance of the museum and helping the young masked human to her feet.

"Your master will live," he told them, "but she needs immediate medical attention."

Though Ninjara wanted nothing more than to slit his throat for hurting her master, she turned to Alopex and waited for her next orders. "Master...?"

Alopex paused before closing her eyes and letting out a very weak sigh. "Stand down," she ordered in a hushed and pained tone.

Ninjara nodded and supported her master by slinging her limp arm over her shoulder while another ninja slung the other arm over his shoulder. They dared not try to remove the spear until they'd bring her to their Clan's doctor. Before they left, Raph called out to their leader.

"Alopex!"

The fox slowly lifted her eyelids and looked straight at the Ninja Turtle.

"I could've taken your life," he told her, "but I didn't. Remember that."

Alopex narrowed her eyes at him. "You know," she rasped, "those were the exact same words _he_ told me right after he cut off my tail."

She then signaled for her warriors to retreat and they disappeared into the shadows. The last one to leave was Ninjara, who briefly stopped to stare at Raph before she followed her comrades. Something told him that that wouldn't be the last he'd ever see of her again.

Leonardo stepped out of the building, his arms wrapped in white bandages. He shook his head disapprovingly at Raph.

"You shouldn't have let her live," he sternly told him. "She's a danger to our family,"

Raph whipped his head around and glared at his brother. "You know something, Leo?" he hissed. "We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for _you_."

Leo's expression changed from one of shock to that of guilt and he turned away, unable to look at his brother in the eye. "I know," he said barely below a whisper.

If Raph wasn't so angry with his brother, he would've felt sorry for him. But the fact was, Leonardo humiliated and greatly angered Alopex, and in the process, made enemies with the Fox Clan. Now there were _two_ enemy clans for them to worry about.

Raph turned to his wounded student, who continued to hold her bleeding shoulder. "Come on, Venus, let's get that patched up."

"Oh, my god," Shadow mumbled as she followed her Sensei down the street. "You did not just call me that."

With a heavy heart, Leo watched the two leave for a moment before he disappeared into the night.

 **Wow, longest chapter yet...**

 **Whew! -_-**


	14. Like Water Over Stone

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 **Warning: Crude and mean jokes ahead.**

"Hey."

Shadow turned from her locker to see Danny standing behind her and immediately her cheeks blushed and butterflies were in her stomach. "Danny!" She grinned nervously at him. "Hey. What's up?"

He gave her a friendly smile. "Oh, not much. You, uh, want to eat with me during lunch?"

 _REALLY?! Heck yeah, I want to eat lunch with ya!_ Shadow maintained her composure and nodded. "Sure. Meet ya there."

Danny grinned widely and waved at her as he walked down the halls. Shadow giggled madly to herself and did a fist pump. Then someone playfully slapped her on the shoulder. The same shoulder that Ninjara slashed last night. Shadow's mouth opened into a silent scream and she gripped her shoulder.

Sloane popped up in front of her and was grinning. "I saw that!" she said excitedly. "You've got a lunch date with Danny Pennington! Way to go, girl!"

Shadow only looked at her best friend with an annoyed expression on her face, rubbing her bad shoulder. "Um, ow?"

The brunette immediately noticed her friend's pain and her excitement quickly changed to concern. "I didn't slap you _that_ hard. You okay?"

"Yeah," Shadow went back to her locker and pulled out her folders. "Had a little bike accident yesterday and hurt my shoulder."

"Ouch," Sloane winced. "Sorry. So you ready for the test?"

Shadow's eyes widened. "Test?"

"Yeah, the English test, remember?"

Shadow dropped the folders on the floor in horror, her mouth agape.

Sloane looked at her friend surprised. "Wait, you _didn't_ study for it?"

"It's today?!" Shadow gasped as she gripped the sides of her head. "Oh, my god! I completely forgot!" _I was so excited about my first patrol that I forgot to study! Mom's totally gonna kill me!_

* * *

"She was about to kill him."

Raph sat next to Karai on the couch in the lair, scratching Chompy's chin. He had spent the entire morning talking to his sister about what took place at the museum.

"And...and I had to do _something_ ," Raph continued, looking at his pet turtle somberly. "I mean, I could've killed her, but I purposely missed a vital organ. Still, they'll never forgive me for hurting their master. And they're hellbent on assassinating Leo." He stopped scratching Chompy and leaned back in the couch, staring up at the ceiling while rubbing his temples. "In short, we're screwed."

Karai sighed and leaned back as well. "Yeah, we are," she agreed.

He glanced over at her. "You know, I was kinda hoping for some reassurance."

"What can I say?" Karai shrugged. "We're in a real pickle. First the Foot and now the Fox Clan. As if we didn't have enough problems."

Raph nodded and closed his eye. He still couldn't believe that Leo cut off Alopex's tail, which was pretty ironic, considering that she cut off Tiger Claw's tail _and_ right arm just a month before. And those words that she told him right before she disappeared with the rest of her clan still haunted him.

 _"Alopex! I could've taken your life, but I didn't. Remember that."_

 _"You know, those were the exact same words_ he _told me right after he cut off my tail."_

Once more, Raph was angered by Leo's hypocrisy. He remembered what his former leader told Alopex when she was seeking vengeance on Tiger Claw thirty years ago.

 _"Alopex, our Sensei once told us, revenge just leads to more pain."_

Not long after that, Leo went down the path of vengeance and not only murdered the Shredder, but all of his henchmen as well, including Tiger Claw. It was no wonder that Alopex couldn't trust anyone in the Hamato Clan. And to make matters worse, Raph, himself, critically injured her even though it was to save his brother from being killed.

"Speaking of the Foot," Karai interrupted his thoughts, "I just found out that an old friend of mine works for the new Shredder."

At this, Raph turned to Karai, preparing to hear even more bad news. "Let me guess, Shinigami?"

Karai shook her head. "No, not Shinigami. And this 'friend' is actually my old Sensei, Hattori Tatsu."

"Your Sensei? But I thought-"

"That Shredder was my teacher? He did teach me a few things, but it was Tatsu who taught me most of the ninja arts that I know. What puzzles me though is why Tatsu would so willingly work for this imposter. He was extremely loyal to Oroku Saki, because he was the one who recognized his skills and talents despite him being blind."

"Wait. The guy is blind?"

Karai nodded. "But if anything, his blindness gives him an advantage over his enemies. It has enhanced his other senses and he can sense anybody coming from a mile away. You can't surprise the guy because you can't sneak up on him. Shredder saw this and took him, giving him the second-highest ranking position in the Foot. He even made a will, promising him that he would take the throne in the event of his death or my own."

"And given that you gave up that throne, Tatsu could've taken it and rebuilt the Foot on his own?"

"Exactly. But instead he lets this new Shredder take over the Foot, which, again, confuses me."

"And how exactly did you find out this information?"

Karai smirked and winked. "Let's just say that a little birdie told me."

Raph paused, letting those words sink in before realizing what she was implying. "You...sent Pigeon Pete to spy on them? How's that even possible? I mean, this is _Pete_ we're talking about!"

She threw her head back in laughed. "I know what you're thinking, but he's actually a pretty good spy. We've kept in touch ever since the Mutanimals disbanded fifteen years ago. He'd help me with a few errands and in return I'd give him fresh loaves of bread."

"I see," Raph chuckled. "Think the Mutanimals will get back together now that Slash is back?"

"You mean as a team?" Karai asked.

"Yeah."

"I seriously doubt it, because the reason they disbanded was because they wanted to retire. Their crime-fighting days are over."

"Well, then I need to have a word with them," Raph said as he returned his gaze to the TV. The news was showing another attack by the Foot last night. This time a group of Foot ninjas jumped a truck driver and stole all of the valuable paintings that were being delivered to the museum, which ironically was being robbed on that very same night.

"We'll need all the help we can get if we ever hope to take down the Shredder."

* * *

"Your parents are divorced?"

Shadow and Danny sat on the front lawn of the school during lunch, discussing their backgrounds. She was absolutely ecstatic about spending some alone time with her crush, but she wasn't expecting to hear such dark things about his past.

Danny fiddled with an apple as he spoke, a disheartened look on his face. "Yeah," he quietly said. "Mom left Dad for some younger, more good-looking guy and moved to Jersey four years ago. Things were never the same after that."

"I'm sorry," Shadow softly said.

Danny chuckled weakly and glanced over at her. "You know, you're lucky. Your parents are still together and happy. Must be perfect."

Shadow snorted and rolled her eyes. "Believe me, my family's anything _but_ perfect."

Danny smiled and leaned back on the grass, placing his hands behind his back and looking up at the sky. "So what are you plans for the future? You know, after you graduate from high school?"

"Hmmm..." Shadow pulled her legs close to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "You know, I never really gave that much thought. I guess I'll go to the college and uh...get a degree in Journalism. You know, work as a reporter like Mom."

"Seriously?" Danny raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah," she said, but she was thinking, _Yeah, right! I'm gonna be a badass ninja one day!_

"Well, I'm gonna pursue a career in teaching," Danny said. "I'm trying to decide between being a high school math teacher or middle school science teacher. I like both subjects, you know."

"Really?" Shadow glanced back at Danny surprised. She could never have imagined a cute boy like him being the brainy type.

"Yeah, and if you'd like, I could help you with your homework. That is, whenever you do need my help."

Shadow pretended to pout and crossed her arms. "You don't think I can do my own homework, bud?" she teased.

Danny genuinely thought that he had offended her and immediately began to apologize. "Oh, uh, I-I-I didn't anything-I'm so-so sorry...!" God, that look on his face was priceless.

She laughed and playfully slapped his knee. "I was just kiddin', Einstein!" Upon hearing that, Danny let out a relieved sigh, and she was touched by his courtesy and thoughtfulness. Not a lot of the boys at school were like Danny. Most of them were immature and stupid, and she honestly couldn't see what the cheerleaders or even the smart girls saw in the dumb, egotistical jocks. She smiled warmly at him. "You know, I could some help every now and then."

Danny smiled back, looking into her beautiful green eyes for a moment. Shadow found herself staring into his light blue eyes as well. Then he coughed awkwardly and glanced away. Was that a hint of red on his cheeks? "Um," he chuckled nervously and reached into the pocket of his pants, "I just realized that I never got your number."

"Oh, right!" Shadow pulled out her own phone, her cheeks blushing as well. They told each other their numbers, which they added to their contacts.

"Whenever you need help with your math or science homework," he told her, "call me."

"Or," she smiled shyly at him, "whenever you just want to...you know...?"

"Hang out?" he finished for her.

"Yeah."

He nodded. "Sure."

Then the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. They both got off the grass and headed toward the entrance to the school. Before they arrived at the doors, Danny looked over at Shadow. "Thanks for joining me for lunch today," he said as he opened the door for her. "We should do this more often."

Shadow nodded her head and ran back into the building, her heart jumping with joy. This was officially one of the best days of her life.

Well, almost.

* * *

The final bell had rung and she slammed her locker shut. She couldn't wait to tell her mother that she finally found the boy of her dreams, though at the same time she was nervous about admitting her failure to study for the English test. Well, even if she did get an "F", she'd still have a "B" average in English. Yeah, she was already doing so well in that class, anyway, so it wasn't really that big of a deal.

"Well, look who it is."

Shadow rolled her eyes. "Oh, man," she muttered under her breath. She turned to her left and saw Peter Vander leaning against the locker, giving her a nasty look. Apparently, he was still P.O'd about her breaking his nose.

"I haven't forgotten what you did to my nose, b**ch," he said in a cold voice.

Shadow flinched at that all too familiar word, but she tried to brush it off. "Quit being a baby, Peter," she mumbled. "It's still in one piece, isn't it?"

"You know, my parents thought about suing yours," he angrily said. "But they decided to back off at the last minute. Your Mom's reputation would've been ruined and she'd be fired from the show."

Shadow scoffed. She didn't have time for this. "Even if your folks did sue us, Mom wouldn't have lost her job, stupid. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with my tutor." She started to head in the opposite direction down the halls but Peter ran around her and blocked her way. He leaned dangerously close to her face to the point that she could smell the meatloaf in his breath from lunch earlier, which nearly made her gag.

"I saw you talking to that Pennington kid during lunch," he sneered, before a cruel smile formed on his lips. "You're a little whore, aren't you?"

 _Whore._

Anger flowed her veins. "What did you just say?" she whispered venomously.

He was loving her reaction and continued to taunt her. "You were thinking about having sex with him right there on the lawn, weren't you? Couldn't wait to take your pants off for him, huh?" He chuckled, which angered her even further. "You'd take your pants off for _anyone_ , actually, 'cause you're a slut."

 _Slut._

Shadow clenched her fists and her body was shaking from anger. "Vander..." she said through gritted teeth, "I'm warning you...!"

Peter wasn't getting the message. "Do I turn you on, whore?" he mocked. "You want me to drop my pants so that you could-" Before he could finish, a fist collided with his face and he fell to the ground.

He spat out some blood, but no bones were broken nor any teeth were lost. The other kids that stood by only caught a glimpse of Shadow punching him, and they all looked at her in disgust, some of them even shaking their heads. They didn't hear the horrible things that Peter had said to her. Shadow felt her face get hot from embarrassment. She had just made a fool of herself once again, and she hastily grabbed her bag, running down the halls. She hoped that Danny hain't seen her hit Peter.

 _Stupidstupidstupidstupid!_

* * *

"Okay, that's all for today. You're making great progress, kid."

Raph handed a water bottle to Shadow, who sat on the dojo floor, panting and sweating from another intense training session. She looked up at him as she took a sip.

"Really?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but-"

 _Oh, boy. The good old 'but'._

"-you seemed...I dunno, frustrated, and that held you back from reaching your full potential."

"Oh," she mumbled, getting up and stretching herself. "I just had a bad day at school, that's all."

Raph raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You didn't beat up another kid, did you?"

" _Pssst_ , no, of course not," she lied, continuing to stretch.

He wasn't buying it. "It was that Vander kid again, was it?"

Shadow didn't want to talk about it anymore and she whipped her head to him annoyed. "I didn't do anything, okay?" she snapped. "Can we just drop it?"

"Shadow," he scolded, "we talked about this. You won't solve this problem with your fists."

God, why couldn't he just leave her alone?! "I didn't hit him!" she shouted. "What makes you think that I did?!"

"'Cause I know you," he calmly told her, though he still had a stern look on his face. "I know about your temper problem better than anyone, and that's why I agreed to help you control it. But you need to let me help you."

She couldn't hold it in anymore.

"LOOK, I'M FINE, OKAY?!" she screamed. "JUST DROP IT!" Before she even realized what she was doing, she pulled back her fist and punched a hole in the wall. Immediately, she recoiled and gasped in horror. Never before had she done something like this, no matter how angry she got. More importantly, she was worried about how Raph would react, and slowly she turned her head back in his direction. She was expecting to see a very angry Turtle getting ready to explode.

But instead, a compassionate, somewhat sad look was on his face, which greatly surprised her.

Gulping, she turned to fully face him, her shoulders slumped and her head bowed. "Um," she nervously said, "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."

Then she heard him chuckle softly, which was another surprise to her. She lifted her head to see him smiling at her.

"You think _that's_ bad?" he said with amusement in his voice before he walked over to the other side of the room where a very large scroll painting of a dragon hung. He removed it from the wall, and Shadow gasped softly at the numerous punch holes that were twice the size of her hands.

"Holy cow," she breathed. "Who did _that_?"

He smirked and pointed to his plastron. "I did, back when I was your age."

She laughed in disbelief. "No way. For real?"

He nodded and gestured at the holes. "This was my favorite spot to punch whenever I'd get a temper tantrum. It served as a reminder of my rage and need to control it before it would control me." He turned back to her, an amused glint in his eye. "You and I aren't that much different, you know."

At that moment, Shadow felt even more ashamed about her behavior and finally decided to confess. "I did punch Peter Vander today," she softly said with her head bowed again.

Raph nodded with a grunt. "I knew it."

"I tried to walk away," she explained. "I really did. But...then he said some horrible things about me."

"Like what kind of horrible things?"

"Mainly sexual. He called me a 'whore' and a 'slut'. Taunted me about my crush on Danny, and he couldn't-"

"Who's Danny?"

She looked up at him. "Huh? Oh, he's...a boy at school that...um...that I..." A blush appeared on her cheeks, and Raph saw it.

"A boy that you like?" he teased.

"Yeah," she frowned and placed her hands on her hip, trying to appear cool. "I guess you could say that."

"Well," he walked over to her and placed his scaly hands on her shoulders, looking directly into her blue eyes, "regardless of what this Vander kid may have said, you can't let his words get to you. Master Splinter once told me that I should just let hurtful words wash over me like a river over stone. You gotta be that stone, Shadow." He gave her shoulders a gentle, comforting squeeze. "You gotta be strong and unmoving. Let Vander's words wash over you." He smiled warmly at her. "You understand what I'm saying?"

Shadow was silent for a moment. She had seen pretty much every therapist in New York, and never had she heard such powerful and amazing advice. Thank God that she took anger management class with a Master ninja.

She smiled gratefully at him and nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

"Good," he said with a nod of his own. "Now about your alias on the streets..."

Instantly, Shadow frowned and crossed her arms. "There's no way I'm gonna call myself 'Venus'," she grumbled.

Raph laughed. "No, I know. I've been doing some thinking this morning, and I think I have the perfect name for you."

Shadow leaned in, curious to hear what he had in mind. "Which is...?"

"Akari."

"...Akari?" She tilted her head a bit. "What does _that_ mean?"

"It's Japanese for 'light'," he said

"'Light', huh?" Shadow rubbed her chin thoughtfully before smiling widely. "Know what? I actually like that name. Really."

"Then Akari it is," he playfully slapped her good shoulder.

"And um, is it okay if..." she rubbed the back of her neck, "...if I call you...Uncle Raph?" She had been wanting to ask him that for a lone time but was too hesitant. After all, they weren't really niece and uncle even though they considered each other to be family. Plus, 'Uncle' was much less respectful than 'Sensei'.

Raph was pleasantly surprised by her question. "Uncle Raph? Sure you can call me that! It's much better than 'Sensei', since that word makes me feel old."

Shadow snickered. "Uncle Raph, you _are_ old."

"Oh, really?" Grinning mischievously, the Turtle grabbed her in response and gave her an affectionate boogie, making her squeal and giggle.

"Ow! Okay! Okay! Uncle! Uncle!"

"That's right; I _am_ your Uncle."

* * *

 _ **The Next Morning...**_

She approached her locker and placed her books inside.

"Hey, slut!"

She flinched and saw Peter walked down the halls toward her. The kid had a cocky smirk on his face. His cheek was a bit swollen from yesterday's incident, yet he was coming back for more. Typical, stupid Vander. When would he ever learn?

"Had fun screwing your boyfriend last night?" he teased her.

Refusing to give him the kind of reaction that he expected and wanted, Shadow took a deep breath and remembered the words that Raph told him in the dojo.

"Like a river over stone," she mumbled to herself.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Shaking her head and slamming her locker shut, she faced him and gave him a cocky smirk. "Know something, Petey? You **suck**."

With that, she walked right past him and headed to Math class. Peter and several other students who were nearby were shocked at her unusually calm behavior. Somewhere in the crowd, Danny smiled, impressed and finding himself even more attracted to the blonde.


	15. To Have Loved And Lost, Part 1

**Hello! Please leave a review for this Chapter! Also, for those who haven't left a review for the last one, please do so. I'd very much appreciate it! Reviews are what motivate me to continue this story! :) Special thanks to those who left a review for the last chapter.**

 **Also, can I just say that "When World's Collide" was AWESOME!**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _"And Raphael...I will always love you."_

His heart clenched every time her words echoed in his head.

God, how he missed Mona Lisa.

He thought about her every day. Her beautiful golden eyes. Her magnificent scaly blue skin. The way she nuzzled him softly with her snout. Her perfect figure. Back in North Hampton, during the night while the rest of the forest slept, he'd sit on the rooftop of his treehouse and stare at the stars, remembering the adventures he had in space with his brothers and the very first time he locked eyes with the Salamandrian warrior. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He had often dreamed of holding her in his arms once again. Kissing her. Becoming one with her. Having children with her. If he could just see her again-

"Thinking about Mona Lisa again, Romeo?"

Raph groaned in annoyance as he felt Mikey's spirit enter the dojo. His little brother smiled teasingly as he sat down next to him on the carpet.

"What, you can read my thoughts now?" Raph huffed, crossing his arms.

"Dude, I used to _live_ in your mind, remember?" Mikey said. "I watched every porno fantasy you had of her while you slept."

Raph's face immediately got red from embarrassment and he stumbled backwards. "YOU WHAT?!" he shouted. "Mikey, you CREEP!"

Mikey threw his head back and laughed. "I'm just kidding, bro! Chillax!"

The embarrassment quickly turned into anger and the hotheaded brother growled threateningly at him. "If you weren't already dead, I'd totally kill you, Mikey."

Mikey only smirked and playfully poked Raph's forehead. "No, you wouldn't. You love me too much."

Raph scoffed and rolled his eye while slapping Mikey's hand away. "Spoiled brat."

"You really miss her, don't you?" Mikey asked him softly as he wrapped an arm around Raph's shell, snuggling close to him.

Raph let out a sigh and rested his cheek on the dome of Mikey's head. "Yeah, I do. Sometimes I wonder where she is now...and who's she married to," he mumbled the last part sadly. After all, why not? They hadn't seen each other in thirty years. She had to move on with her own life. He wasn't a suitable mate for her, anyway. Who would want a man who had cut himself and gouged his own eye out in a moment of weakness? Surely, she wouldn't think of him as a mighty warrior anymore.

"Who's to say that she's married?" Mikey looked up at him sympathetically. "She could still be single."

"Maybe," Raph shrugged. "But she's still light years away. Why would she ever travel all the way to Earth? Just to see _me_?" He chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, like that'll ever happen."

Mikey playfully nudged him. "You never know, bro. She just might. Life is full of surprises, after all."

* * *

"Well, this is a surprise!"

Shadow and her parents all sat at table during dinner, and the teen announced that she may had finally found a boyfriend. April was just ecstatic to hear the news while Casey was a bit concerned. This was his little girl, after all, and it was his job to protect her and see to it that she was happy.

April smiled and reached over to hold Shadow's hand. "Shadow, I'm so happy for you!"

Shadow blushed and smiled shyly. "Aw, come on, Mom. It's not that big of a deal. Besides, it's not official. We're still just friends."

"It's a start, though," April said with a smile. "So who is this boy?"

Casey narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer to the table, his arms crossed. "Yeah, who _is_ this dreamboat?" he asked in a serious tone. "Just how old is he? And what's his backstory?"

April shook her head at her husband's overprotective behavior. "Would you relax, hon?" she chuckled. "If Shadow thinks that _this_ one, out of all the other boys in school, is good enough to date her, then we're bound to like him, too." She turned back to her daughter. "Go ahead, sweetie. Tells us who he is."

Shadow tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced at the side. "Well...his name's Danny Pennington."

 _Pennington._

At the mention of the last name, April's smile dropped. "Pennington? As in...Charles Pennington?"

Shadow nodded. "Yeah, that's his Dad's name."

April's heart dropped. _Oh_ _no..._

"Isn't that the name of your boss?" Casey asked his wife.

"Yeah," April quietly said before giving her daughter a tensed smile. "But that's perfectly fine."

Shadow looked at her mother unsure. "Really...?"

"Yeah, of course," April gently patted her shoulder. "It doesn't matter if he's my boss's son. What matters is that _you_ like him. So tell us more about him."

Having in comfort in knowing that she at least had her mother's approval (or at least she thought she did), Shadow proceeded to tell them all about Danny and their time together on the front lawn of the school. April listened attentively with a forced smile, trying so hard to be happy for her daughter.

But...

* * *

"She's dating my boss's kid," April mumbled as she read her novel. Later that night, as she lay in bed with Casey, she spilled her guts out to her husband. "Can you believe it? Of all the boys she could've picked, it just had to be the son of Charles Pennington."

Casey had his back to her and rolled over to look up at her with a teasing smile. "And you told _me_ to relax. Anyway, what's the big deal? I thought you liked Charles."

April tore away from her book and looked down at her husband. "Are you kidding?" she asked him incredulously. "He's the worst! Always criticizing me and even fretting over my weight! To him, if I'm over 130 pounds, then I'm overweight. Appearance is everything to him, and his news reporters have to be perfect or else the whole thing is ruined."

"Well according to what Shadow told us," Casey said, "this kid is pretty decent and polite. And smart, too. I had my own doubts in the beginning, but, heck, even _I'm_ starting to like him. So maybe this kid isn't anything like his dad."

"That's not what I'm worried about," April sighed and put her book on the drawer next to her. "If Shadow ends up hurting this kid, then it'll backfire on _me_. Charles might even fire me, knowing him."

Casey reached up and wrapped his arms around her, gently dragging her down with him to the soft pillows and mattress. "Hey," he whispered lovingly to her, kissing all over her face. "Don't worry, okay? That won't ever happen. And even if it does, you're the most beautiful woman in all of New York. Any other T.V station would hire you in a heartbeat."

April smiled, comforted by her husband's words, just a little bit, anyway. "You flatter me," she whispered as she kissed him back. "Let's just hope that you're right, 'cause after all..." She reached down to caress her stomach. "...we have _two_ kids to take care of now."

* * *

 _ **The next day...**_

"And then she said, 'Son, whatever you do, _don't_ sell that cow!'"

They both laughed as they as walked into the Tropic Zone. Danny had invited Shadow to come with him to the Central Park Zoo after school. It wasn't exactly a date, since Sloane decided to tag along (mainly because she wanted to see the penguins so badly. Also, Shadow just couldn't say no to her, not with that pitiful look on her face as she begged them to let her come with). They left her behind with the arctic birds and they visited the rest of the zoo together.

Shadow continued to giggle from Danny's joke. "Oh, man, that's hilarious. You're so funny."

"Actually, I heard it from a movie," Danny said with a shy smile. "The classic _Bonnie and Clyde_ movie."

"Ah, a _romantic_ movie," she teased as she playfully nudged him. "Should've known."

Danny blushed and rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat. "You know it's been a while since I've been to the zoo."

Shadow nodded. "Yeah, same here."

"My parents used to take me here every other weekend," he said as they passed by the lemurs. "This was my favorite place in the whole world. Then my folks split up. My Dad's a very busy guy, so of course he can't spend a little father-son time with me, let alone take me to the zoo." He looked at her and gave a somewhat sad smile. "I'm really glad that you decided to come with me."

Shadow smiled sympathetically at him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Anytime."

As they walked further down the path, they saw a Victoria crowned pigeon perched on the branch of an exotic tree, ruffling its blue feathers. Shadow couldn't help but gasp softly at its stunning beauty.

"Oh, my god," she whispered as she got closer to the bird, looking up at it with wide green eyes. "That bird is so beautiful. It almost looks like a peacock."

"That's the Victoria crowned pigeon," Danny said. "It's native to the New Guinea region."

"Wait, that thing's a _pigeon_?" Shadow raised an eyebrow. "That's hard to believe. Aren't there enough pigeons in New York already?"

"I take it that you don't like pigeons?" he asked her with an amused smile.

"God, no," she rolled her eyes. "I've been crapped on by them too many times in the past."

Danny couldn't help but laugh at her comment. "Yeah, I get that. So, um, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do after school? I mean, you told Vander that you regularly see a tutor."

Shadow's face lost its color as she began to realize that Danny saw her punch Peter a couple of days ago. "You, uh," her throat felt dry, "you mean that you...saw me hit Vander?" When he nodded, she immediately began to explain. "Listen, I'm not normally like that, but he-"

"Hey," Danny gently interrupted her. "It's okay. I heard what that jerk said to you. He deserved to be sucker punched. And I also saw how you handled it the next day." He smiled at her. "I was really impressed."

The color returned and a pink flush even appeared on her cheeks. "You...you were? Wow. Um, anyway, about what I do after school...it's not really a tutor that I'm seeing. You see, I'm...taking self-defense classes. And I'm also learning karate."

Danny's blue eyes got large. "Seriously? You're learning karate? That's so cool!"

Shadow smirked. "I know, right?"

"So which color belt are you currently wearing?"

"Belt? Um...pink."

"Pink? I didn't know that there was a pink belt."

 _Wait, there isn't? Oh, crap. Think of something quick!_ "Kidding, duh!" she quickly said with a nervous smile, hoping that he bought it. Apparently, he did as he smiled back at her and chuckled. Relieved, she redirected her attention to the habitats and watched the scarlet ibises bathe in a pond. That was when she noticed a couple of large tortoises slowly walking around on the boulders.

Immediately, she was reminded of her new secret life as a ninja in training. Her heart broke at the realization that she would never get to live a normal life ever again, and that she couldn't tell Danny why she was unable to spend more time with him. Perhaps it was for the best. The Foot were keeping an eye on her, and if ever they were to discover that she was working with the Ninja Turtle as Akari, they'd not only come after her but Danny, as well, and she couldn't bear the thought of him getting hurt or worse because of her.

"Shadow? Are you listening?"

She jumped and whipped her head in Danny's direction. "Huh? Sorry, what'd you say?"

Danny raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You daydream often? Anyway, I said that I'm having a great time. I mean, I haven't had this much fun in years. I like spending time with you." He glanced away and bit his lower lip, a blush on his cheeks. "And I...I like _you_."

Shadow's heart began to pound like crazy and time, itself, seemed to stop. _What did he just say? Did I say what I think he said?_ "What...what did you say?" she breathed.

He briefly looked at her before turning away again. "I said...I like you, Shadow. A lot. I've never met anyone like you before. So, um...I guess what I'm trying to say is..." He slowly turned his head and looked into her eyes. "...will you be my...my girlfriend?"

 _...Oh, my god..._

It was official. They were getting past the friend zone and heading directly into the girlfriend/boyfriend zone. Shadow didn't know how to react. Heck, for a moment, she didn't even know how to _breathe_. He just kept staring at her, waiting nervously for an answer, which she finally gave him after what seemed like an eternity.

"O-Okay."

* * *

 _ **Later that afternoon...**_

"You ready for your training session, kid?" Raph cracked his neck as he walked into the living room, only to find that she was sitting on the couch and texting. "Um, Earth to Shadow Jones?"

She looked up from her phone. "Huh?"

"Training?" he asked in a slightly exasperated tone.

"Oh, yeah," she mumbled as she went back to her texting. "Be there in a minute."

Raph raised an eyebrow before shrugging and heading back to the dojo. He didn't think that the kid was the texting type.

* * *

 _ **The next day...**_

Shadow laughed as she danced with Danny on the DDR dance platform. The two decided to hang out at the _Infinity_ arcade after school. The song that was playing was _Let's Groove_ by Earth, Wind, & Fire, and a crowd of kids gathered around to watch the couple try to beat the high score. Some even cheered them on, which made Shadow laugh as she continued to dance to the music.

They later helped themselves to pizza and took snapshots in a photo booth. They even made some silly faces as the camera flashed.

* * *

 ** _Several hours later..._**

Raph looked down at the streets below and at the horizon before him as he stood on the ledge, watching for any suspicious activity. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. "You see anything, kiddo?" he asked Shadow.

There was no response from her. He looked back and saw that she was at the other side of the building, sitting on the ledge and texting again. Growling in frustration, he stomped over to her and ripped the phone out of her hands.

"Wha-HEY!" Shadow tried to take her phone back but Raph pushed her off. "Give that back!"

"In case you haven't noticed," he snapped, "we're on patrol here. That means _no_ texting _whatsoever_." He then looked down at the screen and began to read her messages, which Shadow noticed.

"Oh, come on!" she protested. "That's private!"

"Too bad," he mumbled as he read down the screen. "'Danny', huh? So you're texting your new boyfriend while you're at work?" He shoved the phone into his belt and glared at his student. "I'll hold onto your phone until the patrol is over. In fact, that's what I'll do from now so that this won't happen again."

Shadow groaned in annoyance and crossed her arms. "God, you're worse than my science teacher."

* * *

 _ **The next day...**_

Right after school, they went to go see the 4:00 showing of the newest horror movie _Under My Bed_. Shadow wasn't easily scared by these kinds of films and she sat through the whole thing unimpressed. Danny, on the other hand, was trying his best not to look scared around her, but just as the monster reached to grab the protagonist from under the bed, he screamed and grabbed Shadow's arm instinctively.

He realized what he was doing and looked at her with a nervous grin. "Um, you seemed scared so I, uh...heh heh."

Shadow smiled and snuggled close to him, playing along just so that he wouldn't feel embarrassed. He was so cute.

* * *

 ** _Later..._**

Chompy dropped the ball at Shadow's feet, wanting to play a game of catch with her, but the teen ignored him and continued to text Danny. The space turtle whimpered and gently nudged her foot, trying to get her attention.

"Chompy, knock it off," she mumbled without even looking away from the phone.

Chompy continued to nudge her.

"Chompy, stop," she said a little louder, still texting.

Desperately, Chompy climbed onto the couch and got into her face, licking her.

"Ugh! Chompy!" She pushed him off and pointed to the other side of the room. "Stop!" she barked. "Go lay down! Right now!"

Chompy bowed his head and whimpered sadly as he wobbled away. His master watched the whole thing from the kitchen and shook his head in disappointment and disgust.

Her behavior was getting out of control.

* * *

 ** _The next day..._**

"It's finally Friday!" Sloane pumped her fists in the air as she and Shadow walked down the halls together. "So...got any plans for the weekend with a certain cute boy?" She winked at her best friend and giggled.

Shadow grinned from ear to ear as they headed toward the exit. "You know it. Saturday, we're going to the Broadway theatre to see _Wicked_."

"No way!" Sloane shouted. "Girl, I'm so jealous yet so happy for you! You've finally found the perfect boy! And for a while, I thought you'd never get a boyfriend."

"Yeah, me too," Shadow said as they stepped outside. "And I think even my parents used to believed that."

"So have you two kissed yet?" Sloane raised an eyebrow and smirked teasingly at her.

Shadow blushed and glanced away. "Um, well, no, not yet."

"When will you kiss him?"

"Sloane, don't rush it! We've only been dating for a couple of days. I swear, you watch too many romance movies."

"At least I don't watch scary ones with _my_ dates."

"Guys prefer scary movies. Chick flicks bore them to death. Heck, they make _me_ want to fall asleep."

"Whatever. Anyway, before you go to the show tomorrow, I suggest you'd find something nice to wear. You know, something other than torn jeans and a Guns 'N Roses T-shirt." Sloane winked and gave her a playful punch on the shoulder before heading in the opposite direction. "Call ya later!" She called out as she walked away. "And have fun!"

As she watched her best friend go, Shadow reflected on her words: _"So have you two kissed yet? When will you kiss him?"_

It was too early for that. But she had often wondered what it'd be like to feel his lips gently brush against hers. Would they be soft and smooth or hard and chapped? Should she finally make the move tomorrow night? Would he think it to be too soon? And what if she got so nervous and threw up all over him? So many questions ran through her mind.

Just then her phone dinged and a text message from Raph was on the screen.

 **HAMATO RAPHAEL: We just got some big news. Don't be late tonight.**

* * *

"There's a grand opening tomorrow," Raph sat the kitchen table with a laptop in front of him. Shadow sat across from him, Chompy lying at her feet. "The Lincoln Bank on Memorial Avenue. My theory is that the Foot will attempt to rob it later that night, and we need to be ready for when that happens."

"But you don't know for sure if they're gonna rob it," Shadow gruffed, impatiently tapping the table with her finger. "So you expect us to keep watch all night, even if nothing ever does happen?"

"Better safe than sorry," Raph shrugged.

Shadow groaned in frustration. She should've known that her secret ninja life would interfere with her plans for the weekend.

Raph had heard the groan and looked up from the laptop at her. "What? You got plans for tomorrow?"

"As a matter of fact," Shadow crossed her arms and sat up straight, "I do."

Raph rolled his eye and let out a heavy sigh, slamming the laptop shut. "This is about that Pennyworth kid, isn't it?"

"It's Pennington, actually," she corrected him. "And yes."

"As if you don't spend enough time with him already," Raph mumbled tiredly.

That made Shadow angry and she jumped out of her seat, stomping toward Raph who continued to sit at the table. Chompy could sense the tension rising and instantly ran out of the kitchen.

"Look," she stood over him and slapped the table angrily, "I may be a ninja now, but that doesn't mean I can't live my life. Those Foot guys might not even show up and I would've canceled my special night with Danny for nothing."

Raph suddently stood up and glared down at her, their noses nearly touching. "Dates you can cancel and reschedule. But missions? **Never**. Like it or not, _this_ is your new life now. The life that _you_ chose, in case you've forgotten."

Shadow knew that Raph had a point, but at the same time, she wanted to be with Danny no matter what. Maybe the old Turtle never had a girlfriend and couldn't possibly understand how she felt.

Yeah, that's it.

"Oh, I get it," she coldly said as she glared back at him. "You never even had a love life because you were always too busy being a ninja. Well, I'm not you. I'm not some lone wolf who doesn't need love. I'm going to Times Square with my boyfriend tomorrow night, and you can't stop me."

She then turned and stomped out of the kitchen, leaving a stunned Raphael standing by the table. It was completely silent for a few moments before the Ninja Turtle sat back down and started to chuckle in disbelief.

"Never had a love life."

Oh, if only that kid knew...

 **Next chapter will be heartbreaking...be prepared...**


	16. To Have Loved And Lost, Part 2

**So many reviews for the last chance pter! And not just for "Akari", but for my other fics as well! THANK YOU! You made me so happy! :D I LOVE YOU!**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 **ANOTHER NOTE: I suggest listening to the song "Let Me Go" by Three Doors Down as you're reading this chapter...it fits perfectly in my opinion.**

"Dad, I'm home!"

Danny stepped into the apartment, but no one answered his call. His dad wasn't home...he never was. But he wasn't bothered by that anymore.

He had his date to look forward to, after all. He smiled to himself as he thought about Shadow, with her beautiful long blonde hair and hypnotizing green eyes. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world to have someone like her as his girlfriend. Not only was she incredibly beautiful, but she also had a strong personality and wasn't at all like the typical dainty girls at school. She was a total badass, and he loved it.

For the last couple of nights, he dreamed about pressing his lips against her and holding her in his arms. He had made up his mind to finally do it after the show tonight, but the butterflies in his stomach already fluttered like crazy whenever he was around her. Would he screw it up and make himself look like an idiot in front of her? He absolutely dreaded that thought and was beginning to have second thoughts about kissing her.

He shook his head, snapping himself out of his own insecurities. No, he was definitely going to make the move tonight. He walked into his bedroom and began to search through his closet, looking for something fancy to wear. He wanted to look nice for her, since this was a special occasion.

Just then his phone started ringing and he pulled it out of his pocket. When he saw the caller ID, his face immediately drained of all color, and with great reluctance, he pressed the button to answer and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Yes. You...what? _Tonight_? But-But I-No! No, I'm not! It's just that...well, you see, this girl that I'm seeing, she's...No. No, of course. I understand. I'll be there."

He hung up and slammed the closet door shut in frustration and anger. Of all the nights they could've picked to...!

He went over to his mirror and pulled out a photo that was stuck in the frame. It was one of the pictures that they took together at the arcade several days ago. They posed in front of the camera with her hugging his neck and him wrapping his arm around her waist. He sadly rubbed his thumb over her smiling beautiful face.

What was he going to tell Shadow?

* * *

Shadow normally didn't wear dresses, but tonight was a special occasion. She posed in front of a mirror wearing a blue wrap dress with a pink waist ribbon, and she actually liked it. Not only was it very cute, but it was also very cheap. The perfect thing to wear for a Broadway show.

As she continued to look at her reflection, a familiar face appeared behind her.

"Shadow Jones wearing a _dress_? That's new."

She quickly turned around and was surprised to find herself face to face with a familiar old man. She'd recognize that wrinkled face, white beard, and those kind blue eyes anywhere.

"Grandpa Kirby?!"

Instantly she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and Kirby chuckled as he hugged his granddaughter back, though she was beginning to squeeze too hard.

"Ooh, careful, hon," he wheezed as she squeezed even harder. "Don't snap my spine in half. I'm still old and fragile."

"Sorry," Shadow loosened her grip and pulled away, a huge smile on her face. "Grandpa, it's been so long! When did you arrive in New York?"

"Last night," he said as he patted her shoulder. "I was going to surprise you and your mother, but then I saw you trying on new clothes in this store."

"Well, Mom will be thrilled to see you," Shadow said. "I won't tell her that you're coming, though. You can still surprise her."

"Well, thanks for that," he smirked as he looked at her new outfit. "If you don't mind me asking, who's the guy you're trying to impress with that fancy dress of yours?"

Shadow grinned sheepishly and blushed a little. "That obvious, huh? His name's Danny Pennington, and we're going to a Broadway musical tonight."

"Oh, Broadway! I haven't been to that theatre in years, not since I took your grandmother to see _Grease_ back in 1994." A somewhat somber expression was on his face as he gently touched Shadow's cheek, tracing his thumb over it. "I swear, you're looking more and more like her every day," he softly said.

"Yeah, I guess I do look more like Grandma than I do Mom," Shadow said with a shrug. "But that's actually a good thing, 'cause if I did inherit Mom's red hair, I'd dye it blonde, anyway."

Kirby threw his head back and laughed. "I have no doubt about that. Well, I still have some shopping to do before I head over to your house."

"I'll shop with you, Grandpa," Shadow offered. "We can do some catching up on the way."

"No, no, you just focus on preparing for your date tonight," he said with a wink. He gave her a quick pinch on the cheek before walking toward the exit, waving at her as he went. "See you there, Princess!"

"Grandpa!" Shadow groaned. "I told you not to call me that!" If there was one thing she absolutely hated, it was being called "Princess". Of course Kirby knew that and he did it anyway just to tease her. He's always been that way. Her grandfather chuckled as he exited the store, and Shadow shook her head with a smirk. "Same old Grandpa Kirby," she muttered to herself.

She looked back at her reflection, adjusting the waist ribbon a little. She just couldn't wait for Danny to see her in her new dress.

* * *

"DAD!"

As soon as she saw her father enter the living room, April jumped off the couch and ran to hug him. Casey stood by the front door, holding Kirby's coat and smiling fondly at the touching reunion. The two hadn't seen each other in over a year, and with all the crazy stuff that his wife had to go through lately, it would do her good to talk to her father and spend some time with him.

"Hello, sweetheart," Kirby hugged his daughter back, his voice breaking with overwhelming emotion. "I've missed you so much."

"Oh, Dad, you have no idea how happy I am to see you," April sniffled as she pulled away from the hug, smiling tearfully at him. "It's been a crazy past couple of months for us."

"Yeah, you have no idea _how_ crazy," Casey mumbled as he hung Kirby's coat on the rack.

"Well, considering all the weird stuff I've seen throughout years," Kirby handed April a tissue to dry her tears with, "nothing surprises me anymore. Why don't we all sit down at the kitchen table and talk about it? You know, do some catching up."

"Sounds great, Dad," April cleared her throat. "I'll make us some coffee." Before she could head toward the kitchen, Kirby stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Now hold up, Pumpkin," he said. "First I want to say 'hi' to the newest member of the family." He reached down to rub April's stomach. "Hello, Baby," he cooed to the tiny life that was growing inside of her. "I'm your Grandpa. I can't wait to meet you."

April smiled and patted her belly. "Well, it won't be here for nine months, approximately. Speaking of grandkids, Shadow will be surprised to see you here."

"Actually, she already knows," Kirby chuckled. "We met at the mall just hours ago. She was buying a new dress for her date tonight."

"Wait," Casey raised an eyebrow at this, "you mean that our daughter was wearing a _dress_?" He chuckled in disbelief and shook his head. "That's so unlike her. She must really love that Pennington kid."

"Yeah," April mumbled. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"What do you mean, honey?" Kirby asked her. "Shouldn't you be happy for your daughter?"

"Dad, she's only fifteen," she told him. "If she gets her heart broken by that boy, it'll be devastating for her."

"You never know," Kirby said with a shrug. "It just might work out. I was her age when I first met your mother, and we'd been together ever since."

April still felt unsure about it all. "I don't know, Dad. I just...have this bad feeling."

* * *

She placed her new dress in her backpack and got on her bike, which was parked outside the mall. Just as she sat down on the seat, the phone in her pocket started ringing. The screen read, Incoming Call: DANNY PENNINGTON.

Smiling and bubbling with excitement, she pushed the button to answer. "Hello?" she tried to stifle her giggling.

 _Hey, Shadow._

Shadow stopped smiling. He sounded a little down. "Hey, what's up?"

 _Look, uh...I know we've been planning for this night..._

Uh-oh. "Yeah...?"

 _...but..._

She heard him sigh heavily on the other line.

 _Something's come up. I can't be there. I'm sorry._

...What? She just knew that something was wrong. She could feel it in her gut. "Danny, what's wrong? Is everything all right?" But her only response was the click that indicated that he had just hung up on her.

It just didn't make any sense. How could he cancel their special night without an explanation for it? This wasn't like Danny at all. Could there have been a family emergency or something and he just couldn't make it? Or perhaps she never really knew him at all? For the last couple of days, she was having so much fun with him. She truly believed that she had finally found the perfect guy, but was she too excited to see the kind of person that he truly was? Was he just toying with her feelings all this time?

No. No, she knew Danny. There's no way that he would ever do that to her. She was merely overthinking this. Still, it sucked that she couldn't see him tonight, which meant that she would have no choice but to go on that stupid stakeout with her uncle.

Great.

* * *

The tattered ends of his mask flowed in the wind as he stood at the ledge of a building, looking down at the street below him like a gargoyle. The grand opening of the Lincoln Bank was this afternoon, and so far, no break-ins have been attempted yet. But knowing the Foot, they'd most likely strike late at night. He wished that he had back up in case they did appear, but since Shadow was being such a hormonal brat, he'd have to face them alone.

He heard someone laughing and looked down to see a young couple passing by. They smiled at each other and held hands as they walked, and it was obvious that they were deeply in love. His heart clenched once again as he was reminded of the feeling of a warm hand holding his. He had to keep reminding himself that he, too, was once young and in love, and he couldn't blame the kid for behaving the way she did. Maybe he was being too harsh on-

"Hey."

He startled and swiftly turned to see Shadow in her black hoodie and wearing her ninja mask. Her bokken was attached to the belt of her pants. He clenched his plastron as he tried to still his racing heart. "Geez, kid! Don't scare me like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I guess that means I'm getting better at sneaking up on people," Shadow said, and Raph could just sense her cocky smirk under her mask.

"Guess so," he mumbled. She really _was_ getting better at it. Her training was paying off. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Times Square with your boyfriend?"

Shadow sighed and stood next to him at the ledge, looking down at the street below her. "We had to cancel our date. So you got what you wanted. I'm here to help you fight the bad guys... _if_ they ever show up," she mumbled the last part.

Raph raised an eyebrow at this. "You canceled? Why?"

"You tell me," Shadow said with a shrug. "He wouldn't explain why, which is so weird."

Before Raph could ask her any more questions, he sensed a presence approaching the area. Several shadowy figures stood on the rooftops of the buildings overlooking the bank and Raph could make out red bug eyes.

He couldn't refrain himself from grinning. "Just as I thought. We have company."

"What?" Shadow leaned over the ledge to see for herself. "What-are you freaking _kidding_ me?"

Raph chuckled and gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. "I know how these guys think. It's time to get to work, Akari."

 _Akari_.

She was still getting used to her new street name. It made her feel like a whole different person. It wasn't just the name. She was trying to adjust to her new _life_ all together. The dangerous and apparently lonely life of a ninja.

She wondered if she was going to end up like her Sensei: alone and scarred, both physically and mentally. She wanted to be Danny, but at the same time, she couldn't put him in danger. After all, her enemies could find out about his connection to her and use that to their advantage. Perhaps this was why Raph never had a girlfriend, so that she wouldn't get hurt because of him.

"Kid! You coming or what?"

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Raph's voice and climbed down the building with him.

* * *

A Foot ninja placed a small detonator on the steel door of the safe and stepped away. Within ten seconds it blew up and left a crater in the wall, allowing the thieves to go through and gather up the bags of money. There were seven of them total. Five of them did the robbing, while the remaining two stood guard at the entrance, watching for any cops or even the Ninja Turtle.

The shorter of the two noticed his comrade looking rather uneasy, as he was fidgeting a little. He roughly elbowed him, getting his attention. "Hey, you're not thinking of bailing, are you?" he whispered.

The taller Foot frantically shook his head. "No! No, not at all. I swear I'm not."

The shorter guy grunted and nodded. "Good, 'cause you know what happens to deserters," he said in a menacingly cold voice.

The taller Foot let out a shaky sigh and focused his attention back the street, a chill running down his spine. "I know. Believe me, I-" He froze when he saw a bit of red in the shadow of an alley from across the street. He immediately knew what it was. "COMPANY!" He shouted as he pointed at it.

The shorter Foot shoved him aside and looked where he was pointing. "Oh, sh**," he mumbled as soon as he saw the red mask. "PICK UP THE PACE!" he shouted to the others inside while he nudged his comrade's arm. "Come on, let's get 'im!" He kicked the door open and darted across the street.

The other one stayed behind, though, watching him disappear into the darkness of the alley. He just wasn't the fighting type. He heard several punching soundsand grunts before it got silent. The Ninja Turtle soon stepped out of the shadows, as well as another person wearing a black hoodie over her head and some kind of Asian fox mask over her face. He never saw this guy before. Maybe it was the Turtle's new sidekick or something?

Instead of confronting them like he was supposed to, he ran back into the building and helped gather up a few more money bags before following the others through the back. Unfortunately, as they exited the building, the Ninja Turtle and his comrade were already waiting for them there.

 _Dang, that was fast,_ the reluctant Foot thought as the Turtle drew out his twin sai and the sidekick his wooden sword. Three of the Foot ninjas, including the reluctant one, took off with the bags in their hands, while the other three dropped them and pulled out their weapons, preparing for a fight.

Raph smirked and even twirled his weapons in a playful manner. "Akari, go stop the others," he instructed his student. "I've got this." He wasn't worried about leaving her alone with three Foot punks; she could handle them, no question about it.

"Akari" nodded and sprinted in the direction of the retreating Foot ninjas. The others turned to chase after her but the Ninja Turtle blocked their way and punched one in the face, knocking him to the ground. A tall lanky one tried to attack him with his katana, but with just one swipe of his sai, Raph sliced the blade in half. The ninja stumbled backwards, overwhelmed with shock, and stared at what was left of his weapon. Raph scoffed before kicking the punk in the gut, sending him flying across the street. The last one had a club in his hand, and it trembled along with his body as the Turtle started to walk toward him.

"You want some?" Raph asked him mockingly. "Come and get it, punk."

He thought for a moment that the kid would just turn and run away, but with a battle cry, the Foot ninja charged at him, the club raised over his head. Raph rolled his eyes and once the ninja got close enough, knocked him off his feet with a sweep kick. The ninja fell to the ground and before he could even raise himself up, the Turtle knocked him out with a kick to the head.

The three Foot soldiers lay unconscious around him, having been defeated within two minutes. "Well, that was easy," he quietly said to himself. "Guess I'd better go help the kid now, not that she'll need it."

* * *

After running through nine blocks, the remaining Foot ninjas ran into an alley and rested, breathing heavily through their masks.

"I...I think we lost them," the shortest of them said.

The reluctant Foot nodded and dropped the bags of money, bending down with his hands to his knees. The only female of the group leaned against the brick wall, trying to catch her breath. "Yeah, well, peek your head out and check," she pointed outside.

"What?" the shorter one shook his head. "No way! _You_ go check!"

Muttering to herself, the female shoved past him and peeked her head out, looking around. She pulled back in, shaking her head. "I don't see anyth-"

She was knocked to the ground as the masked sidekick suddenly landed on top of her. The other two backed away as he stepped off of her, the bokken in his hand. The female Foot groaned, a great pain in her back but she would live.

"Oh, please excuse me," he said in a non-sincere tone. "Don't mind if I drop in." The voice sounded female, though, and apparently, "he" was actually "she". The shorter Foot grabbed a bag full of money in desperation and swung it wildly at her. Of course, she dodged every swing and soon knocked the bag out of his hands with her bokken before punching his lights out.

The only one left standing was the reluctant Foot, who immediately took off and left the bags of money and his comrades behind. Shadow wasn't about to let him out of her sight and took chase.

This one wasn't very fast and so she was able to catch up to him easily. Before he could attempt to climb up a nearby fire escape, she grabbed him by the legs and pulled him dow before pinning him to the wall.

"Sorry, pal," she sneered, "but you're not going anywh- _AAAAHHH!_ "

She screamed as she suddenly felt an EXCRUCIATING pain in her neck, and after blanking out for five seconds, she realized that she had just been tasered. Once she let go of him, the Foot ninja kicked her against the opposite wall and she hit her head in the process. Losing consciousness, she slumped to the floor.

The ninja instantly regretted what he had done. "Oh, shoot." He knelt down to check her over, snapping his fingers close to her face. "Hey, you still alive? Hey." His eyes trailed over the mask that covered her face. This was the perfect opportunity to...

He slowly and carefully removed the mask, revealing her true face...and the world, itself, seemed to stop spinning.

"Oh, god..."

No...no it couldn't be...

That blonde hair...and that face...that _face_...

"Shadow?"

He removed his own mask, revealing his blue eyes and curly brown hair. And a look of utter horror on his face.

With a shaky hand, he reached to touch her cheek when he heard the sounds of rapid footsteps approaching. That could either be the other Foot ninjas or the Ninja Turtle. His heart started to race like crazy and sweat was pouring down his forehead.

He felt absolutely lost. He was torn between bringing her to Master Shredder or saving her. If he were to betray the Foot and they found out, he would lose his life. But this was the girl he loved, for cripes' sake. Could he ever bring himself to betray her love and trust?

This was a nightmare. It just had to be.

The footsteps were getting closer. He had no time to lose.

Without even thinking, he quickly put the fox mask back over her face and dragged her to a bunch of tin trash cans. He carefully placed her behind them and gave her one last longing look before fleeing the scene, leaving her alone in the alley.

"Akari?! Kid, you there?!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Shadow slowly regained consciousness and let out a groan. Raph heard that groan and immediately pushed the trash cans aside. He knelt down to carefully pick her up and hold her in his arms. "Shadow, are you okay?" he whispered to her.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw her uncle looming over her. "Uncle Raph...? What happened?"

"You tell me," he said. "Did one of them knock you out?"

Her head was still pounding and she let out another groan. "I...I can't remember...wait...yeah, I think one of them did...ugh, my head hurts..."

This confused Raph greatly. If one those Foot ninjas did, indeed, knock Shadow out, why hide her behind the trash cans instead of taking her to their headquarters? What worried him even more was whether or not they saw her true identity while she was passed out.

All he could do was wait and found out.

* * *

Although she still felt like crap, she just wanted to see Danny the very next day. She rode her bike all the way to his apartment in the city and knocked on his door. For a few moments, nobody answered, then the knob turned. The door opened to reveal a zombie that looked a lot like Danny, with dark circles and bags under his eyes and his hair all messed up. He looked like a complete mess.

His eyes widened at the sight of her standing in front of him. "Shadow...?"

"Hey, Danny," she softly said. "God, you look terrible. Everything okay?"

He stared at her for a while before he rubbed his eyes. "Oh, uh...I had a rough night."

"Yeah, obviously. And you never told me why you canceled our date." She reached for his hand and held it, giving it a loving squeeze. "Danny, if something's bothering you, you know you can always talk to me, right? Tell me what's bothering you."

Danny could only look down at the gentle hand that held his. Oh, how he wished he could tell her. If only she knew. But it was best if she didn't. In fact, as much as he hated to admit it...

"Shadow, listen..." he gently pulled his hand away and looked up at her sadly. "This...this just can't work."

"...What?" she said barely above a whisper. Was she not hearing him right?

He glanced away and swallowed away the tears. "I don't want to see you anymore."

Was this a dream? Some horrible dream from which she could wake up anytime soon? God, she really hoped so. "Danny, what are you talking about?"

He painfully squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lower lip. "We're just..." he croaked before clearing his throat, looking at her again. "We're just too different. Maybe it's time we started seeing other people." He did his best to smile, but it was so hard to lift the corners of his mouth. "I had a lot of fun with you, Shadow. Thank you. And I'm sorry." He turned his back to her and started to close the door, but a foot had wedged itself in to keep it open.

Shadow peeked in through the crack and looked at him with pleading, tearful green eyes. "Danny, what's going on?" her voice cracked with emotion. "Tell me what's wrong! Please! Danny, tell me!"

He couldn't handle it anymore.

With a heavy heart, he kicked her foot away and swung the door open. "Look, get it through your head!" he shouted. "I never want to see you again, okay?! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!" He slammed the door in her face, leaving her standing there stunned, the tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.

"...Danny?"

* * *

Raph walked into the living room to find Shadow sitting on the couch, gently stroking Chompy on the head. "Oh, hey, Shadow," he walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. "How are you feeling today?"

She didn't answer him and only continued to pet Chompy, her long blonde hair hiding her face from him.

"Shadow, are you okay?"

"...No," her voice sounded croaky. "Not really."

He reached over to place his hand behind her head. "Kid, what's wrong?" he asked her in a soft, gentle tone.

She finally turned her head and revealed red, puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks. "He broke up with me."

"...You...You mean that-that Pennington kid?" he stammered. His heart shattered at how miserable she looked.

She nodded and looked back down at Chompy, who whimpered and rubbed his cheek against her legs in an attempt to comfort her. "He said he didn't want to see me anymore."

"...Oh, I see." Raph quietly said. He felt so bad for the kid.

At this, she whipped her head at him and there was an angry look on her face. "What do you mean, 'Oh, I see'?" she snapped.

"What? I...Nothing! I just feel bad for you," he calmly told her. "I know how hard this must be for you-"

"You want me to admit it?!" she tore off the couch and confronted him, her fists clenched at her sides and trembling with rage. The tears were flowing down her cheeks again. "Fine! You were right and I was wrong! I was being stupid and let my emotions get the best of me! There! Are you happy now?! 'Cause I'm sure not! I've never been so miserable in all my life! It's the worst feeling in the world and I...I...!"

Her anger slowly faded away and she hid her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Raph got off the couch and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Shadow instantly hugged him back, reaching to touch the carapace of his shell.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Raph," her sobs were muffled by his plastron. "I'm sorry. I...I don't mean to take this out on you."

"I know," he softly whispered to her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "It's okay, kid."

"No, it isn't," she shook her head. "You're already dealing with enough sh** in your life. And I just had to act like a total brat and..."

"Hey," he gently pulled her away and lifted her chin, "look at me. It's okay. Really. I know exactly what you're going through right now, because I've been there, too."

She sniffled and wiped her tears away. "Really...? You mean you...?"

He smiled sadly at her. "Yeah. I've had my heart broken, too, when I was your age. Heartbreaks are hard, but the first ones are always the worst. Your world completely falls apart and you feel like you could just crawl under a rock and die."

She smiled weakly back at him. "Yeah, that's exactly how I feel right now. So who was she? You know, the one who broke your heart?"

He wrapped an arm around her and guided her back to the couch. "Sit down and I'll tell you the story of Mona Lisa."

 **Geez, this was longer than I thought... :/**


	17. Prisoner

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later**

 **WARNING: Disturbing content in this chapter. VERY disturbing. I'll rate this one "M" just to be safe.**

She numbly stared at the ceiling. She was going to be sore in the morning but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything at the moment.

K'Vathrak, who was panting and sweating greatly, looked down at the blue Salamandrian in disgust and shook his head. "Well, that was disappointing," he said with a sigh. "I was hoping to hear screams from you. Instead, you just lay there quietly like a rag doll. You bore me these days."

She said nothing and merely turned her head away. The orange and black Salamandrian scoffed and rolled to the side. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for a glass of wine that was on the drawer. "You were once a mighty warrior. I figured you'd be just as vicious in bed as you were in the battlefield, but I guess I was asking for too much." He gulped down the last of the wine before he threw the glass away, which shattered on the floor. When he glanced back at her, she was facing the opposite direction and covering herself with the blanket. He chuckled cruelly as he tore the blanket away, leaning over her and whispering in her ear. "Come on, babe. Who said I was finished? The night is still young."

"I'm tired," she croaked, hugging herself and flinching away from him.

K'Vathrak growled deep in his throat and flipped her on her stomach, pinning her to the mattress with one hand on the back of her neck and the other gripping her waist. But she didn't protest or fight back. She just laid there limp even as the pressure of his body was crushing her.

"I said, I'm not done yet," he hissed. "And we won't stop until I-"

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

He groaned as the communicator that was sitting on the drawer continued to beep. He got off of the Salamandrian woman and pushed the button to answer. "What is it?!" he bellowed. "You're ruining the perfect moment!"

"Forgive me, Master K'Vathrak," a man's voice answered through the speaker, "but Lord Ch'rell is sending a transmission from planet Earth. He wishes to speak with you."

Instantly, the scowl on his face turned into an amused smile. "Ch'rell, huh? This must be good. All right, tell him I'll be there in a moment." He climbed off the bed and slapped the woman's thigh as he passed by her. "We'll finish when I get back, Y'Gythgba."

Once she heard the automatic door slid shut, she painfully closed her golden eyes, tears leaking out of them and sliding down her cheeks. Her whole body ached and she was covered with bite marks, most of which were on her neck. A whimper escaped her throat as she once again wrapped herself with the blanket.

She just wanted to die.

* * *

He wiped the sweat off his body with a towel as he approached a large screen that hung overhead in the great hall. On the screen was an Utrom that had a large burn mark covering his left eye and was sitting in a metallic chair, his long tentacles hanging over the edge of the seat. The small brain-like alien smiled down at the Salamandrian, showing his jagged sharp teeth.

"Hello, K'Vathrak," he said in a deep voice, which was an unusual trait of the Utrom species. "It's been a while. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

K'Vathrak chuckled and tossed the towel aside. "No, of course not, Lord Ch'rell. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Business," Ch'rell said. "I need you to take care of someone."

The Salamandrian smirked and crossed his arms. "'Take care of', huh? Sounds fun. So who's the target? Someone challenging, I hope."

"Oh, you'll find him to be quite challenging, all right." The Utrom lifted his tentacle and reached to his left to press a button that was off-screen. A video appeared on the screen, and K'Vathrak's yellow eyes nearly popped out of his sockets the moment he saw that familiar shell and red mask.

"Him?" K'Vathrak gasped as he watched the now-aged Raphael fight a small group of Foot ninjas in the video. He quickly went from being completely shocked to being pleasantly surprised and he threw his head back to laugh. "Oh, this is just rich!"

Ch'rell smiled again. "I thought you'd be pleased."

"And _you_ want him dead? He must really be getting under your skin."

"Oh, yes, he's constantly getting in the way of my plans. And it's not just him. His brother Leonardo is also giving us trouble. Not that I can't kill them, myself, but you know, why go through the trouble of finding and killing the roaches when you can just call the exterminator? Besides, I hear you have something that is most precious to Raphael."

"Hmmm?" The Salamandrian was confused at first, tilting his head. Then it clicked. "Oh! Heh, you mean _her_ ," he gestured behind him, in the direction of the bedroom. "Yeah, well, I seriously doubt that he'll want her back. She's been used too much if you catch my drift. Even _I'm_ starting to get bored with her."

"Well, even if that is true," Ch'rell said, "she is still a dear friend of his, and he'll do anything to keep her safe. Do you see, my friend?"

K'Vathrak nodded and rubbed his chin, as he was starting to see where the Utrom was going with this. "Yeah, I get it. I like the way you think, Ch'rell. I always have. I'll begin the preparations for the journey immediately."

"Good," the Utrom nodded. "I want both him and his brother dead, and I want it done as soon as possible."

"And you won't be disappointed," the Salamandrian chuckled darkly. "You've called the right exterminator for the job."

"See you shortly, K'Vathrak. Contact me once you have reached Earth." The transmission was cut off and the screen went black.

K'Vathrak cracked his neck and knuckles. The former bounty hunter had a new mission, and it was going to be the best one yet.

* * *

The doors slid open and she prepared herself, clutching the blanket even tighter. To her confusion and relief, though, he went straight to the bathroom.

"Gonna hit the showers, babe," he told her as he stepped into the shower, turning the water on. "Go ahead and start packing your things. We're going on a trip."

Y'Gythgba sat up on the bed, still holding the blanket close to her. "Where will we be going?" she tiredly asked.

He looked over at her and gave her a chilling smile. "To Earth."

 _Earth?_

She gasped softly at the mention of the home planet of...

He nodded and closed the curtains. "That's right. You're gonna see your old boyfriend again."

As K'Vathrak showered, Y'Gythgba got up and slowly walked to the balcony outside the bedroom, staring up at Salamandria's moon, its light reflecting off her blue scales.

After thirty years, she was going to reunite with her beloved Raphael. But instead of being overwhelmed with joy, she felt her heart sink. If K'Vathrak wants to go to Earth, it was most likely because he wanted Raphael dead, or at least someone else did. And if he were to find out about her lost innocence, what would Raphael think of her? Surely, he would be disgusted and reject her. She just couldn't bear the thought of him looking at her with contempt.

But perhaps it would be a fitting punishment for her. After all, she broke his heart first. When she betrayed him and his brothers on Sectoid 1, he became so distraught that he lost the will to fight, perhaps even the will to live. When she later asked if he could ever forgive her, he never actually said so, but he gave her a sad kiss and bid her farewell. Maybe deep down he still resented her for stabbing him in the back, even if it was to save her home planet from Dregg.

About a year after that, Dregg invaded Salamandria once again, only he had help. An Utrom named Ch'rell provided him with military technology that was far more advanced than that of her people's. Salamandria didn't stand half a chance. Nobody was spared from Dregg's terrible wrath, not even the children. Only Y'Gythgba was left alive, and she was forced to watch her commander and mentor G'Throkka be slowly and brutally tortured by that traitorous scum K'Vathrak before he was executed. As a reward for lending a hand in the war, K'Vathrak was given Y'Gythgba as his own personal slave.

She was the last of her people, a once proud warrior now reduced to a toy for that traitor to play with. She often thought of climbing to the rooftop of the mansion and jumping to her death to escape from the pain and loneliness. But the only thing kept her going was the reminder that she had to carry on the legacy of her lost people, even if it meant having children with K'Vathrak. Unfortunately, he wasn't planning on having a kid, and he'd used a condom or force her to take birth control pills whenever he slept with her.

She sadly looked down at the city below which was now infested with insectoids, swarming about and using the empty buildings as hives.

* * *

Shadow sat in front of the mirror and blankly stared at her reflection.

Earlier today she confronted Danny about their cancelled date, but instead of getting answers, she was dumped by him right on the spot. She should've seen this coming. She should've known better. All boys were the same: fickle and insensitive. Danny was just like the others, only she was too blindly in love to see it. And then she had to take her anger out on her Sensei, who did absolutely nothing to deserve it.

Stuck in the wooden frame was one of the photo booth pictures that she took with Danny at the arcade. They looked so happy, and it mocked her. Infuriated her. Taking it in her hand, she very felt tempted to rip it in half and toss it into the trash, the same way Danny did with her heart. She managed to make a tiny tear when someone knocked on her door.

"Shadow?" Kirby's voice softly called out. "Can I come in?"

She sighed and placed the photo back into the frame of her mirror. "Yeah, come in, Grandpa."

Kirby opened the door and walked in, a concerned look on his wrinkled face. "Are you okay, honey?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

He nodded and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Your mother told me. It's a real shame. He sounded like a good kid."

Shadow scoffed and smiled bitterly. "Yeah, a real charmer. And I was stupid enough to fall for that. No offense, Grandpa, but...men are dirt."

Kirby only chuckled softly. "You feel that way now because you've been dumped. During high school, after I was rejected by my first crush, I thought all girls were nasty and mean. But soon afterwards I met your Grandma, and we were together ever since."

"Wait," Shadow looked over at him in surprise, "you mean Grandma wasn't your first?"

"Oh, no," Kirby smiled amusedly. "In fact, I tried asking out several girls before I met her. The point is, sweetheart, you're still young and there are plenty of fish in the sea, as the saying goes. When the time comes, you'll meet the right one. It'll probably take several more tries and heartbreaks, but trust me, it'll be worth it in the end."

A small smile slowly formed on her lips and she felt slightly better about the whole break-up thing thanks to her grandfather. She got out of her chair and walked over to him, giving him a hug. "Thanks, Grandad," she softly said.

"Of course, Princess," he smirked, knowing how much she hated that nickname, but this time, she didn't make a fuss about it. When they finally broke up the hug, Kirby stood up and pulled something from under his coat. In his hand were two tickets.

"What are those?" Shadow asked him.

"Tickets to that _Wicked_ show you wanted to see," he said. "We can still make it to the 3:00 show if we hurry. Just the two of us. What do you say, sweetie?"

She smiled gratefully at him. "Consider it a date, Grandpa."

* * *

A shadow approached the front door of the Jones residence. Judging by the sounds of laughter that he picked up with his advanced auditory implants, April was still home.

Ever since his nervous breakdown in the elevator, Donatello relected on his current lonely life and realized that perhaps it was time to fix things with his family. The image of Leo standing there in the hallway and covered with bullet holes still haunted him. He felt conflicted about helping his brother, considering the countless murders that he committed throughout the years as the Serpent. But they were still brothers, and brothers were supposed to look out for each other.

He needed to talk to someone, and with Splinter being dead, the next person he felt most comfortable expressing his feelings with was April.

He was about to ring the doorbell when he heard April giggle, "Oh, Casey, stop it." She sounded so happy. He decided to sneak toward the bay window that was next to the door and peek in.

April and Casey were sitting on the couch, with his arms wrapped around her waist and her hands on her chest. She was looking up at him with eyes full of love. Donnie felt what remained of his heart clench. She never once looked at _him_ like that, even though he clearly expressed his own love for her in so many ways when they were teenagers.

Then Casey leaned down to kiss her on the lips, which April retuned with a kiss of her own. It was as clear as day that the two were deeply in love.

And Donnie felt cheated.

The only reason Casey was able to win her heart in the first place was because there was no longer any competiton. If Donnie hadn't left thirty years ago, _he_ would've been April's husband. He would've been the one sitting on the couch with her with his arms wrapped around her and his lips pressing against hers. Casey merely won by default.

He scowled at the two before he walked away. Coming here was a mistake. He could hear Robot Donnie's voice echo in his mind.

 _" **You do not need them**..."_

 **In case you're wondering,** **K'Vathrak is Newtralizer's real name.**

 **So next Thursday will be my birthday! :) And I bet my Mom will surprise me with new TMNT stuff. She knows me so well. She rocks.**


	18. A Broken Promise, Part 1

**This will be a two-parter, featuring the return of an old ally/enemy.**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"Geez, Karai, when was the last time you cleaned in here?" Shadow coughed as she waved away the dust, some of which she unwillingly inhaled. For the first time, she explored the now abandoned lab that used to belong to Donatello.

Karai chuckled as she stepped into the room. "There was no need for me to ever come in here. I'm not a scientist or inventor of any kind." She noticed several photos attached to the wall, one of which was a family snapshot of the Turtles and Splinter. The rat stood in the center and had one hand on Leo's shoulder and the other on Raph's. Everyone seemed happy and was smiling, including Splinter. But during the thirty years she had spent with him, Karai hadn't once seen him smile, at least not genuinely. If he did smile, it was either sad or forced.

Her heart ached for a brief moment at the memory of her father. "I purposely locked the door for years so that Father wouldn't be able to come in," she softly said. "The memories would be too much for him to handle."

Shadow looked around the room and was fascinated by the strange, dust-covered gadgets that rested on the shelves. There was more lab equipment in here than there was back in the science lab at school. She brushed her fingers over the glass of a huge canister, wiping away some of the dust in the process.

Shadow nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw what looked like an eyeball peek at her. "YAAH!"

Karai instantly ran to the teen's side. "What? What is it, honey?"

Shadow slowly stepped away from the canister and pointed a shaky at it. "I-I saw an eyeball in that thing."

Karai wiped even more of the dust off with the palm of her hand, revealing a frozen bundle of human organs. The Kunoichi's jaw dropped while Shadow's face became drained of all color.

"Oh, my god," Shadow whimpered, clasping a hand over her mouth. "Are those...organs?"

"I..." Karai herself backed away from the canister, overwhelmed with shock. "I don't know."

Shadow looked over at her in surprise. "Wait, you mean you never saw this before?"

Karai shrugged. "Like I said, I've never had to come in here."

They heard heavy, rapid footsteps run though the living room and into the lab. "Girls?! Everything okay?!" Raph appeared at the doorway and peeked in. "I heard some screaming."

Karai gestured at the container. "Raph, do you know what _this_ is?"

Raph squinted his eye before it widened as he recognized the strange creature inside. He slowly made his way toward the canister and brought his face close to the glass. "Pulverizer," he whispered in disbelief.

"Pulverizer?" Shadow tilted her head. "Who's that?"

Raph gently placed his hand on the surface. Oh, the unpleasant memories were resurfacing once again. "He was a friend and...well, actually, he was more like a stalker."

"What, like Ninjara?"

Raph chuckled weakly. "No...even worse. Anyway, his real name is Timothy, and he was a normal guy when we first met him thirty years ago. Then he tried to help us save the city one day and...well, _this_ happened."

"So this used to be a person?" Karai gasped.

"Yeah," Raph mumbled sadly. "And Donnie said he would find a cure for him no matter what, but-" He paused as he remembered his cyborg brother, and he was angered by the fact that Donnie never kept his promise to the poor guy after all these years.

"Well, then we'd better unfreeze him," Shadow suggested. "He needs our help."

Raph instantly whipped his head toward her. "No!" he shouted in panic before calming himself. "No, we can't do that, Shadow. At least not yet."

Shadow was confused by her Sensei's remark. "Why not? We can't just leave him like this."

"We have to wait until Donnie comes up with a cure," Raph explained. "And we froze Pulverizer because at the time he was a bit...unstable. Trust me, it's better if we just leave him be for now." He pulled out his phone from under his belt. "In the meantime, I'm gonna call Donnie and remind him of the promise he has broken," he grumbled the last sentence as he dialed the number and stomped out of the lab. Oh, he was gonna give that nerd a piece of his mind.

Shadow's intial fear of the frozen creature was now replaced with sympathy, and she looked at him with sad green eyes. Considering that he had been reduced to nothing but a bunch of organs, she wondered if the mutation that he went through was painful. "So...we can't do anything to help him?"

Karai gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "We should listen to Raph, Shadow. Don't worry, he and Donnie will take of this."

* * *

"Come on, Donnie, pick up...!" Raph impatiently tapped his fingers on the table in the kitchen.

After what felt like an eternity, someone finally answered. _Hello?_ Donnie's voice spoke on the other line.

"Finally! Donnie, you have to come down to the lair pronto!"

 _...Raph? How did you get this number?_

"April gave me the number your personal cell. But that's not important. Just get down here."

 _I'm busy, Raph._

"SCREW YOUR TIGHT SCHEDULE, DONNIE!" Raph banged the table with his fist in fury. "This is far more important than your stupid job! This is concerning your friend, Pulverizer!"

There was brief pause before Donnie spoke in a slightly surprised tone. _Timothy?_

"Yeah, Timothy! You promised to turn him back to normal, but instead you left him locked up in your lab to collect dust for thirty freaking years! Now you're gonna come down here and help him or I will barge into your office and drag your sorry-!"

 _I'm on my way._

"...Wh-What?'

 _I should get there within twenty minutes._

Okay, uh, see you soon. Bye." Raph hung up, surprised by Donnie's sudden willingness to leave work. He smirked to himself. "Maybe there's still a little bit of the old Donnie left in him," he mumbled to himself.

He walked back into the lab and stood in front of the canister. "Don't worry, buddy," he said to the frozen mutant inside. "You'll be back to normal in no time."

* * *

Bubbles floated to the top of the gallon as April pressed down the lever to release the water into her cup. She casually chatted with her fellow employees in the hallway next to the water dispenser and brought the cup to her lips.

"Jones!"

April rolled her eyes at the sound of her boss, Charles Pennington, calling for her. "What now?" She mumbled as she quickly gulped down her water and threw the cup away. Charles stood outside his office at the end of the hall, gesturing for her to come.

She walked and sat down in the chair in front of the desk and faced her boss with a forced smile. "Yes, Charles?" She really hoped that this meeting had nothing to do with the ugly breakup of Danny and Shadow.

Charles didn't look at her but instead focused on the iPhone in his hand, scrolling down the screen and reading something. "The oldest person in New York City, Edith Morale, is turning 103 today. Her birthday will be held at the Pegasus restaurant later this evening at 7:00 pm. I want you to interview her and her family with these questions." He handed her a list of questions. "And make sure they answer every single one of them."

April begrudgingly took the list but still had a smile on her face. "Sure, Charles, I'll be there."

"Good," he waved her away while still looking down at his phone. "That'll be all, Jones."

As soon as she stepped out of the office, she muttered all sorts of profanities under her breath. "Of all the...son of...I outta just...UGH! I _hate_ it when he makes me work nights."

* * *

He sat on the couch and stroked Chompy's head as he waited for Donnie to arrive. It had already been forty minutes even though Donnie said he'd get there in twenty. Just when he began to doubt that his brother would ever show up, he heard footsteps echoing in the tunnels and turned to see Donnie through the entrance, a black briefcase in his hand.

"Donnie!" Raph jumped off the couch and ran to his cyborg brother. "About time you showed up."

"You didn't unfreeze him, did you?" Donnie asked him, looking a bit concerned.

Raph snorted and rolled his eye. "No, of course not. What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"Among other things," Donnie muttered. "So he's still in the lab?"

"Yeah," Raph crossed his arms and glared at him, "right where you left him."

Ignoring that remark, Donnie brushed past him and headed straight for his old lab. Once he stepped inside, the memories came flooding back. All of his gadgets, his lab equipment, the photos that hung on the wall...

He felt a lump form in his throat when he spotted a picture of him and Mikey. His little brother had two pepperonis covering his eyes while the genuis Turtle had a pizza on his face. It reminded him of the good old days, when he was actually...happy...

Shaking his head and turning away from the pictures, Donnie redirected his attention at the frozen Mutagen Man. After setting the briefcase on the table, he walked over to the canister and leaned his face in close, staring into his old friend's eyes, lightly touching the glass with his fingertips...his normal, fleshy fingertips.

"Timothy..."

He could still remember the look on the mutant's face as his body began to freeze.

 _" **Donnie...something's...wrong...!** "_

 _"I'm sorry, Timothy."_

Sighing and removing his fingers, Donnie looked apologetically at the mutant. "I'm sorry, Timothy. I'll make things right." Giving the canister one last pat, he went back to the table and opened the briefcase, revealing its contents: vials and syringes.

Raph walked into the lab and saw Donnie pulling out a few vials. One had a blue liquid, the other was red. "So what's that?" he asked. "The antidote?"

Donnie somberly shook his head. He held up the blue vial. "This is a chemical that will thaw out the ice and make Timothy mobile again."

"And...and the red one?"

There was brief pause before Donnie answered his question in a sad, lowered voice. "This one contains my latest invention, a new type of drug that will put him to sleep and slow down his heart until..." He cleared his throat. "He won't feel a thing."

Raph looked at his brother in horror, letting those words sink in. "You...you're gonna _euthanize_ him?"

Donnie nodded his head. "I have to, Raph. There's no other solution."

Raph shook his head, nearly tumbling backwards in shock so he held onto the table for support. "But...but shouldn't you try to find a cure first? You _promised_ him that you would, Donnie!"

"Raph-"

"NO! No, I won't let you do this! First you abandon him and now you want to kill him?! How could you be so cold and heartless?"

"Raph, would just shut up for a moment?" Donnie snapped. "I'm doing this for Timothy's sake."

"He doesn't need to be put down like a dog!" Raph argued. "He needs a cure!"

"Don't you get it, Raph?!" Donnie angrily shouted, having finally lost his patience. "There IS no cure!"

"...What?" Raph was stunned by Donnie's outburst. "But you said-"

"I tried, Raph," Donnie said in a more calm tone. "I really did. But Timothy's mutation is irreversible. His body is in a state where it's beyond help. I kept saying to myself that I would turn him back to normal, but I accepted the truth years ago." He tightened his grip on the red vial. "The way I see it, _this_ is the cure."

"But, Donnie, this is...this is just too cruel!"

"No. Letting him stay the way he is, _that's_ cruel. Trust me, what I'm about to do is an act of mercy. You don't have to be here, Raph." Donnie started to reach for a syringe. "Leave the room if you can't handle it."

Suddenly, the red vial was snatched out of his hand and he turned his head in time to see Raph throw it at the wall. Upon impact, the glass shattered and red liquid dribbled down to the floor. Raph then turned back to Donnie and glared at him defiantly.

"No," he growled.

Donnie glared back. "You always have to break my stuff?"

"Screw you," Raph spat. "Clearly, this was a mistake. Get out of here, Donnie."

"Oh, and what are you going to do about Timothy?" Donnie crossed his arms. "Take him to the hospital? Or call Dr. Rockwell, perhaps? No one can help him, Raph. You need to accept that."

Raph took a threatening step forward. "I won't say it, again," he hissed. "Out."

Donnie scoffed and shoved the rest of his supplies back into the briefcase before slamming it shut. He stomped out of the lab, leaving Raph alone with Mutagen Man. The Ninja Turtle sighed as he placed his hand on the glass of the canister.

"Sorry, buddy," he quietly said to the mutant. "Guess we're gonna have to find another way."

"Uncle Raph?"

He turned to see Shadow standing at the doorway. She was rubbing her arm and had a concerned look on her face. "I, uh, heard everything," she said. "You're not gonna...you know?"

Raph smirked at her and shook his head. "No way, kid. I'm not gonna give up on him. Donnie says it's hopeless, but he's forgotten that a Ninja Turtle never accepts defeat." He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure something out."

After he walked out of the room, Shadow approached the canister and looked at the creature with eyes full of sympathy. She felt so bad for the poor guy. He probably had a family out there somewhere who was worried sick about him, wondering if he was even still alive. Considering that it had been thirty years, she began to dread that Timothy's parents were already dead, and if he were to somehow break free and find out the horrible truth...

She then heard a dripping sound and looked down to see a puddle of water forming on the floor next to the canister. Water was leaking out of the openings of the container, and Shadow could've sworn that she saw one of the eyeballs twitch.

Her jaw dropped as she realized that the ice was melting. "Unc...Uncle Raph...!" she rasped as more water leaked out of the canister. The creature began to jerk and the ice started to crack. Shadow wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move for some reason. Finally, the ice broke apart in the container and a static, inhuman scream filled the room as the mutant finally freed himself. Shadow did her best to stifle her own scream by clasping a hand over her mouth.

The eyeballs darted from left to right as the mutant took at look at his surroundings, and he let out a surprise squeak once he saw Shadow, who squeaked back and nearly tumbled backwards. His lips pressed against the glass and began sucking on it like a suckerfish. Curious but still nervous, Shadow slowly stepped toward the canister with her hands up, showing him that she meant no harm.

"Um..." she chuckled weakly, "hi?"

The creature only blinked at her and continued to suck on the glass.

She waved one of her hands and smiled nervously. "Y-You're Timothy, right? My name is Shadow."

The lips finally got off the glass. " **Ssssshhhhaaaaa-dow?** " a static voice spoke through the speaker.

"Holy cow," Shadow gasped. "You can talk?"

" **Where...am I?** " Timothy asked.

"Um, you're-you're in Donnie's lab."

The eyes widened at the mention of that familiar name. " **Donnie?** "

Shadow nodded. "Yeah. But Donnie doesn't live here anymore."

" **How...long...?** "

Shadow was hesitant on answering that question. If she told him the truth, he'd probably freak out and cause a ruckus. But she couldn't bring herself to lie to him either. Timothy deserved answers, after all. "Well, you see, Timothy, it's been...thirty years since-"

A strangled gasped escaped through the voice box. " **Thirty years?! WHY?! WHY THIRTY YEARS?!** " He began to thrash around in panic, causing the container to tip back and forth.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Shadow ran to the canister and slapped her hands on the glass. "Timothy, shhhh. It's okay. It's gonna be okay. Trust me. You can trust me. I'm your friend."

Timothy slowly started to relax. " **Friend?** "

Shadow nodded and smiled gently at him. "Yeah, that's right, Timothy."

The mutant seemed a bit sad. " **All friends ever do is hurt me...don't trust friends...don't need any friends.** "

 _Wow. The poor guy._ "Aw, come on, Timothy," Shadow softly spoke to him. "Don't be like that. All I want to do is to help-"

"SHADOW!"

The teen was suddenly jerked away from the container as Raph pulled out one of his sai and stood protectively in front of her. "Get back!" he ordered his student.

"Uncle Raph, wait!" Shadow tried to ease the tension before things took a turn for the worse. "You don't understand-!"

Timothy narrowed his eyes and hissed at the Ninja Turtle. " **Raphael! Turtle hurt me! Turtles bad!** "

Raph looked back at Shadow with an angry expression. "Shadow, I told you not to unfreeze him!" he scolded.

"I didn't!" Shadow defended. "The ice just thawed out on its own!"

Raph was surprised by this. "Really?" He looked back at the now freed mutant, who continued to hiss at him. "Huh. Donnie said it'd be seventy years before he'd defrost."

"Uncle Raph, come on," Shadow shoved him aside and stood in between him and Timothy. "He's really freaked out right now. You pulling out your sai isn't gonna make things better."

Raph sighed and shoved the sai back in his belt. "Yeah, you're right." He looked over at the mutant and smiled sadly at him. "Hey, buddy."

Timothy only glared at him. " **Don't call me that!** **Raphael not my friend!** "

"Still mad about the whole mutation thing, huh?" Raph mumbled. "Can't say I blame ya." He turned back to the teen. "Shadow, why don't you talk to Timothy for a while? You know, to keep him calm?"

Shadow nodded and sat down in front of Timothy while Raph slowly walked out of the room, not keeping his eye off the mutant for one second. When he stepped into the living room, he let out a sigh of relief and plopped down on the couch. "Boy, I hope Rockwell gets here soon," he muttered to himself as he rubbed his temples.

* * *

"So that's how you became the way you are now?" Shadow listened attentively to Timothy's backstory. They had spent nearly an hour conversing with other.

" **Turtles hurt me...Donnie...said he would help me...he lied to me...he kept me frozen...for thirty years...!** "

"Timothy," Shadow softly said, "I'm sure the Turtles never meant to hurt you. Well, I mean, at least Raph still cares about you. He really wants to help you. He does."

Timothy didn't say anything and only looked down at the floor sadly. For a moment, it was silent, before he spoke in a sad voice. " **I miss my Mom...** "

Shadow felt her heart break right in half at those words.

" **She's...probably worried about me...I want to see her again...** "

Shadow blinked back the oncoming tears and reached up to gently touch the glass. "You will see her again. I promise." She instantly regretted saying those words, even if they were meant to comfort him. For all she knew, Timothy's mother could've been dead.

Timothy blinked at her. " **Donnie...made a promise, too...but he never kept it...how do I know...you'll keep your promise?** "

 _I can't promise you that you'll see your Mom again. But who knows? We just might find her._ "I'm your friend, Timothy," was all that she could say. "You can trust me, okay?"

Timothy paused before his lips formed into a smile. " **Okay, Shadow...I trust you...** "

"Shadow?"

Said teen turned to see Raph walk into the lab with an old friend, Dr. Rockwell, who had a briefcase in his hand. "Shadow, could you step out while Rockwell is at work?"

Shadow looked at the mutant chimpanzee uneasily. "He's...he's just here to help, right?"

Rockwell walked over to her and smiled warmly. "I promise I won't hurt him, Miss Jones. I just want to help Timothy." He then turned to the mutant in the canister. "Hello, Timothy. I'm Dr. Rockwell."

Timothy looked nervously at him before directing his attention back to Shadow. " **Shadow...?** "

"It'll be okay, Timothy," she soothingly said to him, pressing a hand to the glass again. "He'll find a cure for you. Then you'll be able to see your Mom again." She slowly backed away. "I'll be right outside, okay? I won't go anywhere."

Timothy watched as she walked out of the room with Raph, feeling scared now that his only friend had left him alone with the chimpanzee. Rockwell set the briefcase on the table and opened it, revealing several vials and one small canister of mutagen. Immediately, Timothy's mouth began to water at the sight of the glowing ooze.

* * *

Several hours later, Rockwell finally stepped out of the lab, looking tired and somewhat disappointed.

"Well?" Raph instantly sat up from the couch. "Were you able to do it?"

Rockwell sighed and shook his head, removing his glasses and cleaning them with a cloth that he had taken from out of his coat pocket. "I'm sorry, but I cannot help him. There's no cure for his condition."

Shadow felt her heart drop. "Are you serious?" she whispered in disbelief. "You really can't help him?" She sank down in the couch and looked up at her Sensei with wet eyes. "What are we gonna do now...?" she choked.

"Shadow, it'll be okay," Raph calmly told her. "We'll think of something. Like I said, we're not gonna give up on him."

"Perhaps if Donatello were to assist me with this," Rockwell suggested, "we could come up with an antidote. After all, when two great minds work together, they can accomplish anything. Where is he?"

Raph sadly shook his head. "Donnie's not gonna help. He's given up on Timothy. In fact, he was actually planning on euthanizing the poor guy."

Rockwell's eyes widened, surprised by this revelation. "You don't say? Well, that certainly doesn't sound like the Donatello that I-"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake a little and there was a loud crashing sound in the lab.

Raph instantly got a bad feeling. "Hoo-boy. Hey, Doc? You didn't happen to have some mutagen in that briefcase, did you?"

"Well...yes, actually," the chimpanzee said, not realizing the mistake he had just made.

Raph's face became pale. "Oh, sh-"

A yellow, blobby hand punched through the wall of the lab, creating a huge hole, and stepping through that opening was the newly restored Mutagen Man. The monster let out a scary static roar as he charged right past the two mutants and the teenager. He nearly ran into Chompy, who yelped as he jumped out of the way in time.

They watched as he disappeared into the tunnels.

"Well, this can't be good," Raph sighed.

 **Nope, it ain't good at all... :/**


	19. A Broken Promise, Part 2

**After today's episode, Usagi Yojimbo is officially my new favorite TMNT character now. LOL!**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 **WARNING: Disturbing content included.**

He shoved an empty coffee cup off the table in frustration. "Darn it, Raph!" he cursed under his breath. He understood why his brother objected to having Timothy euthanized, but still...!

He sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He was so obsessed with his work for the last thirty years that he completely forgot about the frozen mutant whom he left behind in the lab.

Timothy once looked up to him and his brothers, and while his fanboy obsession with them was creepy, it was also...kind of flattering. He wanted to be just like them, he wanted to be a hero. Then he turned into that organ-blob thing, and he felt betrayed by the Turtles. Donnie swore that he would do everything in his power to help Timothy and find a cure for him. He really did try, but after so many tests and failed experiments throughout the years, it was finally time for him to face reality: Timothy couldn't be cured. As much as he hated to admit it, the only option left was to put Timothy out of his misery. It was the logical and humane thing to do.

He glanced down at the pieces of the shattered cup. One of them had the printed word in bold red letters, "Promise". The whole cup actually said, "Morph Enterprises: Promise Of A Bright Tomorrow." But his throat became dry and his stomach began to feel a bit uneasy as he stared down at the one word...

 _ **Donatello?**_ Chet's monotone voice echoed in the lab, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Chet?" Donnie answered.

 ** _There Is A Disturbance In Lower Manhattan._**

"So?" Donnie sat down in his chair and leaned back, wanting to relax for a bit. He was too agrivated and tired to even resume his work. "Let the MetalCops deal with it. That's what they were built for, after all."

 _ **But This Is Concerning Your Friend Timothy.**_

He immediately sat up and his eyes widened in horror. "Timothy?"

* * *

A young woman screamed as the hideous creature stomped through the streets, leaving behind small puddles of yellowish goo the pavement. People scattered everywhere and called 9-1-1 on their phones, but the only thing on Timothy's mind was his mother.

" **Mom...!** " his frantic static voice spoke through the speaker. " **Must find her! Need to tell her...I'm okay!** " She probably thought that her son was dead, considering that it had been thirty years since she last saw him. He just had to let her know that he was still alive, and he knew that she would welcome him home with open arms despite his frightening new appearance.

He eventually reached the apartment building in which they used to reside. It wasn't in the friendliest of neighborhoods, but it was the best that his mother could afford with her income. The mutant climbed up the fire escape and went up three floors before stopping at a window and peeking in.

Standing in front of a steaming stove with her back turned to him was a woman with short brunette hair. Timothy's mother had short brunette hair as well, and hope began to fill his heart as he leaned in closer to the window and tapped on the glass.

" **Mom?** "

The woman swiftly turned around and revealed her face to him. Timothy's heart sunk as he realized that this wasn't his mother. Her eyes became bug-eyed and her jaw dropped before she let out a piercing scream of terror.

"MONSTER! GET AWAY!" Without thinking she grabbed a nearby cup and threw it at the window. Timothy yelped in suprise as the cup shattered upon impact and left a crack on the window. He dejectedly climbed down the ladders and landed on the pavement, not sure what to do at that point. He couldn't go back to the Turtles, not after they betrayed his trust. He was too afraid to go to the hospital. And he certainly couldn't go to the police station, since they would just shoot him on sight.

The whole situation felt completely hopeless.

 _"...am at the Pegasus restaurant right now. Edith Morale is turning 103 today She is the oldest recorded person in New York City."_

Timothy turned to see a wall of T.V's behind a display glass, one of which was showing a live interview with an elderly woman and her family in a restaurant. The reporter who spoke with her looked awfully familiar.

 _"Mrs. Morale,"_ the reporter placed the microphone at the old woman's lips, _"how does it feel to be over 100?"_

 _"EH?!"_ Edith squinted her already small eyes and pointed to her left ear. _"I can't-I can't hear you!"_

 _"I said, how does it feel to be over 100?!"_ the reporter repeated a little louder.

 _"...What? Still can't hear you."_ Edith shook her head and rudely waved her away before eating another spoonful of mashed potatoes. _"Stop bothering me. I'm trying to eat."_

The reporter cleared her throat and faced the camera with a smile. _"Heh, well, I...guess that's all we're going to hear from the special guest. This is April Jones reporting live for Channel Six News."_

Timothy gasped loudly at the name. " **April?! April my friend!** "

He then proceeded to stomp down the street, a hopeful smile on his loose lips. If there was anyone he could trust, it would be April.

" **April will help me! Must find April!** "

* * *

Raph jumped onto the next rooftop and peered down. Still no sign or trace of the blob mutant. Letting out a frustrated groan, he pounded down on the ledge with his ledge.

"This is just great," he grumbled.

He heard footsteps approach him from behind and turned to see Shadow in her ninja outfit. "You find anything?" he asked her.

The teen shook her head. "Nothing," she sighed as she stood next to him, looking down at the streets through the eye holes of her mask. "I'm really scared for him, Sensei. He's out there somewhere, alone and confused. And the police...they'll most likely shoot him as soon as they see him."

Raph took a deep breath and lightly punched her shoulder, getting her attention. "Hey, we'll find him, okay?" he told her with a smirk. "He's a giant can of organs with arms and legs, after all. He shouldn't be that hard to find."

"You are correct."

They both turned to see Dr. Rockwell climbing onto the rooftop, holding a phone in his hand. The chimp mutant held it up for the two to see. "And unfortunately, now _everyone_ knows where he is."

On the screen was a YouTube video of Mutagen Man stomping down the street, scared pedestrians screaming and running in all kinds of directions. The person recording the event was shaking and crying as the mutant got closer, looking at him with crazed eyes.

 _"Get back!"_ he sobbed. _"Don't hurt me!"_

 _" **Where is Pegasus restaurant?!** "_ Timothy demanded. _**"Must find April! Tell me where April is!"**_

Shadow gasped loudly and snatched the phone from Rockwell. "April?! He's going after my Mom?!" She turned to her Sensei in panic. "Why?! What does he want with her?!"

"Calm down, kid," Raph told her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "He won't hurt her." Although he was worried for his human friend, he knew that Timothy wouldn't harm her. At least not intentionally, which was why they needed to act fast before things did go out of hand. He turned to the genius chimp. "Rockwell, you still have that freezing solution?"

The chimp held up a vial full of blue liquid. "Yes," he said with a nod. "And there should be enough to freeze him once again."

"Good, 'cause we just might have to use it again," Raph said with a bit of sadness in his voice. "As much as I'd hate to."

* * *

Outside the Pegasus restaurant, Vernon was loading their equipment into the back of the van with April assisting him.

"Crabby old bat," Vernon grumbled as he slammed the doors shut.

"Now, Vernon, be nice," April gently scolded him. "Keep in mind that she is over 100."

Vernon sighed and looked at April sympathetically. "Yeah, I know, but we barely got an interview with her. And Charles won't be happy with you, even though it clearly wasn't your fault."

April was touched by his concern and lightly patted his back before walking to the passenger's side of the van. "He'll get over it. I'm not worried. I'm just glad that my shift is finally over and I can go home."

Vernon hopped in and was about to start the van when he noticed something strange in his side view mirror. He leaned over and looked closer, pulling the mirror toward him. What looked like a giant trashcan with legs was slowly heading toward the van, and he poked his head out all the way to see for himself.

"What the heck...!" Vernon gasped as he locked eyes with the terrifying Mutagen Man. He clamped a hand over his mouth in horror as he realized that the creature was nothing but a bundle of human organs and eyeballs. The thing looked like it came straight out of a horror film.

"Vernon?" April noticed the cameraman's horrified and peeked out her own window. "What's going...!"

She instantly recognized the mutant from her crazy teenage years and slowly sank back into the van. _How...? I thought Donnie froze him? How could he be walking in the streets again?_ She reached for her phone in her pocket, intending on calling Raph, but then Mutagen Man's static voice called out to her.

" **April! Please help me! I need you!** "

Vernon looked over at her in surprise. "April? You know that thing?"

April didn't answer him and poked her head out of the window again, looking directly over at the mutant. He looked...scared. And his voice sounded desperate. Donnie told her about his backstory, and she had always felt sympathy for the poor creature. She was surprised that Donnie never found a cure for him after all these years. He probably still thought of her as his friend and just wanted her help.

She took a deep breath before opening her door.

"April, what are you doing?" Vernon started to panic.

The reporter turned to her friend and spoke in a calm, collected voice, "Vernon, get out of here now."

"What?!" Vernon shook his head. "No way I'm leaving you alone with that...that thing!"

"Vernon," April gave him a small smile as she stepped out of the van, "just trust me, okay? I'll be fine."

Although the young cameraman wanted to stay with the reporter, he decided to trust her and reluctantly sped off. April Jones was left alone with the Mutagen Man, but she wasn't afraid of him. She was a former kunoichi after all. A telekinetic one at that.

"Hello, um..." She took a moment to remember the mutant's real name. _Tommy? Teddy? Tim? Timothy!_ "...Timothy."

Timothy's lips formed into a smile. " **Hi, April.** "

April cleared her throat and smiled awkwardly at him. "I see that you finally thawed. How, uh...how are you feeling?"

" **Scared...** " Timothy sadly said. " **I want to go home...but I don't know...where Mom is...I just want to go home.** "

"I know, Timothy," April softly said. "And I'll do everything I can to help. But we need to go to Donnie and-"

" **NO!** " Timothy suddently shouted. " **Donnie not my friend! Donnie broke promise and abandoned me! Left me frozen...for thirty years!** "

"Timothy," April spoke to him in a soothing voice, attempting the calm the angered mutant. "You need to listen to me. Donnie has the equipment and technology to help you. I can't do this without him."

Timothy only moaned and clenched the sides of the canister. " **No! Don't trust Donnie! Donnie hurt me...!** "

April took slow, cautious steps forward, reaching out to him. "Timothy, please, I really want to help-"

The mutant turned back to her and there was anger in his eyes, which startled April and caused her to flinch away. She could sense a growing danger and kept her guard up.

" **I thought...I could trust April...but I was wrong...** "

April took a few steps back as Timothy stomped toward her. "Timothy...please calm down." The mutant continued to approach her. She could take him on if she had to, but she was pregnant, and she didn't want to endanger the baby's life. She didn't want to take that risk, so she could only back away. "Timothy, please...!"

" **April not my friend...n** **obody is my friend...** "

"TIMOTHY!" A female voice suddenly screamed.

April instantly recognized that voice. "Oh, no."

A young person dressed in a blank hoodie and wearing fox Asian mask on her face dashed right in between April and Timothy. She stood protectively in front of the reporter with a bokken in her hand. Timothy growled then roared at the stranger, preparing to attack her.

"Timothy, wait!" the stranger waved her other hand in front of her frantically and reached to take the mask off, even though she knew the risks of exposing herself in public.

The mutant gasped when the stranger was revealed to be his new friend, Shadow Jones. " **Shadow?** "

The teen nodded. "Yeah, it's me, Timothy. It's okay."

April gripped her shoulders from behind her. "Honey, get out of here before you get hurt," she whispered harshly to her.

Shadow looked back at her mother. "Mom, it's okay. I got this."

Timothy's eyes widened in surprise. " **Mom? April...Shadow's Mom?** "

"Yeah, that's right," Shadow smiled gently at him. "She's my Mom. Please don't hurt her. She's also carrying my little brother or sister. You wouldn't want to hurt the baby, would you?"

Timothy glanced away in shame. " **No...I never...wanted this...I just...wanna go home...I want...to see MY Mom...** "

Shadow slowly approached the creature, placing her hand on the glass of the cannister. "I know, Timothy. You really miss her, don't you?"

" **Yes...** "

"We can help you find her, Timothy, but you have to _let_ us help you. That includes Donnie. Both he and Dr. Rockwell can think of a cure together, and then you can finally go home. You know you can trust me, right, Timothy? 'Cause I'm your friend."

After a few moments of silence, Timothy's lip pressed against the glass right where Shadow's hand was and his eyes looked directly into hers. She could tell that she had regained his trust and sighed in relief.

From behind them, April looked on in amazement. She found it hard to believe that this was the same girl who used to be deathly afraid of mutants and wouldn't dare get within fifty feet of them. Her daughter certainly had grown the past couple of months.

From the rooftop of a building overlooking the scene, Raph and Rockwell watched Shadow soothe the mutant, and the Ninja Turtle smiled down at his student with pride.

"Good job, kid," he quietly said.

"Yes," Rockwell nodded. "Good thing she was able to stop him before things took-" Suddenly he turned his head to the east as he picked up a familiar sound. "Raphael," he whispered to the Turtle, "do you hear that?"

Raph listened and dread quickly took over as he saw flashing red and blue lights speeding down several blocks, heading in their direction. "Oh, no..."

Shadow lightly patted the glass and smiled warmly at Timothy. "Come on, big guy. Let's get you back to the lair."

But then right at that moment, three police cars came swerving around a corner and surrounded the trio. The officers hopped out of their vehicles and pointed their guns at the mutant.

"Freeze, freak!" one of them shouted.

Shadow jumped in front of Timothy and put her hands in the air. "Wait! Wait! Don't shoot!"

"Shadow, get back here!" April shouted, not wanting her daughter to get accidentally shot.

Another officer waved at her to get out of the way. "Move, kid!"

The teen refused to move, bent on protecting her friend. "Please! He's not gonna hurt you! Just leave him alone!"

The same officer whispered something to his partner, who then sprinted toward them and roughly grabbed Shadow's arm.

"Ow! Hey! Let go of me!" Shadow shouted as she was being dragged to the group of policemen.

Timothy assumed that the officer was hurting the girl and became furious, growling and clenching his blobby hands. " **Police...hurt...Shadow!** "

"No, Timothy, wait!" Shadow tried to warn him but it was too late. The mutant charged at the police, prompting them to fire their weapons at him. Thankfully, though, the glass of the cannister happened to be bulletproof and he wasn't harmed. In a blind rage, he knocked over the patrol cars and smashed them.

"Oh, god!" April screamed. "SHADOW!"

The policemen backed away from the raging creature, dragging Shadow along with them. Timothy glared at the officer who still had a hold on her and stomped toward them.

" **Let go of Shadow...Let go of my friend!** "

They all had their backs to a wall and were being cornered by Mutagen Man. Raph gripped his sai, preparing to jump down from the building and intervene, while April used her telekinetic powers to lift a nearby dumpster, ready to defend her daughter. But before the mutant could get any closer to the police, a voice that he had not heard in years stopped him.

"Timothy, stop!"

Said mutant froze and slowly turned around. Standing in the middle of the street was a cyborg Turtle that looked a lot like...

" **...Donnie?** "

Donnie smiled sadly at Timothy and greeted him with a slight nod. "Hello, old friend."

Raph wasn't sure whether or not he was happy to see Donnie, considering that his brother wanted to kill Timothy at first. All he could do at that point was wait and see what would happen.

While Timothy was being distracted, Shadow broke loose from the officer's grip and ran to her mother, who embraced her and frantically asked her if she was all right.

Timothy glared at the Turtle and slowly approached him. " **Friend? Donnie not my friend! Donnie hurt me! Donnie broke his promise!** "

Hearing those words come out of Timothy's mouth hurt, and Donnie couldn't help but let out a pained, shaky sigh. "I know, Timothy," he softly said. He wasn't the least bit afraid as Timothy got closer, and even as the mutant loomed over him, he looked up at him with sad eyes and placed his fleshy hand on the glass.

Timothy was slightly surprised by this gentle gesture and looked down at the hand then back at the Turtle to which it belonged.

"I've been a horrible friend, haven't I?" Donnie continued. "No words can ever describe how truly sorry I am for doing this to you."

Timothy's eyes softened as he listened to Donnie, hearing the genuine remorse in the Turtle's voice.

Donnie clenched his hand, making his fingers rub against the glass. He bowed his head and closed his eyes painfully. "And I've waited too long. Been too preoccupied with other things throughout the years. That's hardly an excuse, though..." He slowly lifted his head and looked straight into Timothy's eyes. "...is it? You once thought of me as a hero. Some hero I turned out to be, huh?"

Timothy's rage completely faded away and he leaned forward into Donnie's hand in a gesture of trust. " **Donnie...I wanna go home...** "

Donnie nodded and lifted the corners of his lips a bit. "I know you do, Timothy. I'll make things right. That's a promise I intend to keep." He then pulled out a vial from under his belt.

Raph noticed the red liquid that was inside. "No...Donnie...!" he whispered, panic stricken.

" **Donnie...what is that?** " Timothy asked him.

The Turtle held the vial up for him to see. "The cure, Timothy."

The blob mutant's eyes widened. " **Cure?! You mean...this will...make me human again?!** "

Donnie paused before swallowing and speaking to Timothy in a pained, soft voice, "If you take this, you won't feel any pain or be afraid anymore. It's the least I can do."

Timothy wasn't quite sure how to take that. But he was tired of being looked at like a monster and feeling alone in the world, especially since he didn't know where his mother was, the only family he ever had. He didn't want to be afraid anymore. Besides, Donnie wouldn't hurt him...right?

Slowly and reluctantly, Timothy pushed his lips through the opening of the canister and took the vial, drinking all of the chemical in one gulp. Shadow clamped a hand over her mouth in shock and horror before hugging April and burying her face in her shoulder, not wanting to see what would happen next. Raph closed his eye and cursed under his breath, pounding on the ledge with his fist. Rockwell was both saddened and disgusted by Donnie's actions.

At first, nothing was happening, and Timothy looked at Donnie confused. Then he felt a slight burn in his intestines, which alarmed him. " **Donnie? Something's...wrong...** "

Donnie bit his lower lip, which was quivering with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Timothy," he said in a cracked voice. He never wanted things to end this way. He stood there and waited, looking at his friend with apologetic cybernetic eyes.

Then all of a sudden, Timothy started to scream in agony. The glass of the canister fogged up with steam as his insides began to seemingly burn up. One of his eyeballs actually popped, pus and blood splattering on the glass.

Everyone around him was absolutely horrified, especially Donnie. That wasn't supposed to happen. "TIMOTHY!" he screamed as he rushed toward his friend. "What's wrong?! Are your-?!"

Timothy knocked down Donnie before he could get any closer and pinned him to the ground, covering the Turtle's robotic right arm with his blobby hand. Although it didn't hurt him at all, Donnie couldn't help but scream as the arm began to melt from the acid.

" **Donnie...!** " Timothy hissed, his organs still burning and his remaining eye full of betrayal. " **WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!** "

Donnie could only stare up at him dumbfounded with his mouth agape. For once, the genius Turtle didn't know what to say.

The Mutagen Man suddenly let go of Donnie and ran down the street, disappearing behind a corner. He continued to scream and groan in pain as he ran, leaving behind trails of goo.

Shadow wanted to go after him, but she was too shaken up by the horrifying scene that she had just witnessed. Raph and Rockwell, on the other hand, shook themselves out of their shock and ran after Timothy.

* * *

They searched for him for nearly two hours, but they eventually lost his trail at the end of an alley. Raph knelt on the ground and looked down at the last small drop of goo that they could find. Timothy was probably already dead due to the internal damages that he had suffered.

Raph had failed to save another life. It was Mikey all over again.

Feeling very ashamed and disappointed with himself, he buried his head in his hands. _Timothy...I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you._

Rockwell walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "My friend, you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened," he gently said. "You did your best to help him."

Raph shook his head. "No. I just stood there and let Donnie feed him that...stuff."

The chimp was about to retort when he noticed a shadow on the wall before them. He swiftly turned and saw Donnie standing at the other end of the alley, the lower half of his robot arm melted away by Mutagen Man's acid. Disgusted with the cyborg Turtle, Rockwell merely glared at him and crossed his arms.

Donnie let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of the chimp's glare. "I know what you're going to say, Rockwell," he quietly said. "But I did what I had to."

"Donatello," Rockwell spoke in a tone that was filled with anger, "have you even tested that drug before you decided to use it on Timothy?"

Donnie glanced to the side and shook his head. "I mean, I tested it on small animals, and it seemed to work just fine on them. But Timothy was neither animal nor human. So there was no telling what the results would be."

This only angered Rockwell even further. "Yet you decided to use it on him, anyway, even though you had absolutely no idea of what the consequences of your actions would be."

Donnie looked at him with a tired expression. "Isn't that what science is all about?" he croaked.

That was all Rockwell could take. Now furious with the Turtle, he stomped over to him and got nose to nose with him. "No," he growled. "The sole purpose of science is to benefit mankind. To _help_ people, not destroy them. And you used science to destroy Timothy." He scoffed and took a step back, his glare not faltering. "And you call yourself a true scientist."

"Besides..."

Raph slowly got back up and walked over to Donnie, his eye filled with pain and disappointment toward his brother. "...Timothy wasn't your guinea pig. He was your friend."

Now Donnie was starting to get angry with both of them. "Raph, I _told_ you, I tried-"

"You didn't try hard enough," Raph interrupted. "You gave up too soon. You and Rockwell could've worked together and found a cure for him. That was always your problem, Donnie...you think you're smarter than everyone else, and if you can't think of solution, no one else can." He then brushed past Donnie and walked out of the alley. "And you've become more machine than turtle," he mumbled loud enough for Donnie to hear. "You're losing sight of who you are, Donnie. Who you used to be."

Rockwell followed Raph and walked with him down the street, leaving Donnie all alone in the alley to reflect on his older brother's words.

* * *

" **...elp...me...ple-eee-eeease...** "

Timothy's systems were slowing down as he used whatever strength he had left to crawl across the sands of the beach. He was now under the Brooklyn Bridge, begging for someone to help him. The yellowish goo limbs slowly disintegrated as the hours passed, and soon all that was left of him was the canister and organs inside. He lay there looking up at the moon above him with his only eye. His heartbeats were slowing down and he started get very tired.

He was betrayed by Donatello once again. And now he was going to die all alone.

" **...help me...Mom...** "

Just then, a shadowy figure stood over him and pressed a hand over the glass. Timothy could barely make out a pair of glowing red eyes.

"You poor, pathetic creature," a chillingly mechanical voice spoke to him. "You are an abomination and a sin against nature. But you weren't always like this, were you?"

Timothy could only groan in response, no longer having the strength to even speak.

"I can help you, though," the stranger said. "Unlike those treacherous reptiles, I truly want to be your friend. I have the necessary tools and technology to turn you back into your human form. But first you must pledge your loyalty to me. Will you do that?"

Desperate to become human again and with no other options left, Timothy weakly nodded his eyeball in response.

Chuckling darkly, the Shredder gave the mutant a pat on the glass. "Very well, then. Welcome to the Foot Clan."

 **Oh...geez... :(**


	20. Author's Note

**Hello.**

 **(Sighs)**

 **Well, I just learned that my Dad died from a massive heart attack.**

 **Yeah.**

 **I am devastated and so is my family. I won't post stories for a while. Probably won't be until next month when I come back.**

 **Please pray for me and my family. And thank you for all your support.**

 **God Bless.**


	21. Blood Oath

**Again, thank you all for your amazing support and words of comfort. You guys really helped me through this difficult time. I'm still hurting, but it'll heal over time.**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

After splashing some cool water on his face, Donnie looked up from the sink and at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes trailed down to the what remained of his robotic right arm. The acid completely melted off most of the limb up to the shoulder. He easily repair it, make it better than ever, and go back to work.

He briefly looked down at the sink to turn the faucet off and then back up at the mirror. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw his reflection.

It was his teenage self again, glaring at him disapprovingly.

 _"What have you done, Donatello?"_ he hissed.

Donnie shook his head and turned away from the mirror, gripping the sides of his head. "Not again," he mumbled. "Just go away."

 _"Go away?"_ Younger Donnie snorted. _"I'll never go away. And neither will the guilt."_

Donnie turned back to the mirror. "What guilt?"

 _"The guilt you feel for not keeping your promise to Timothy."_

Donnie flinched, the words stabbing at his heart. "No," he denied angrily, stomping over the sink and gripping the edges. "I did try. There was nothing more I could do for him."

Younger Donnie shook his head. "You _know that's not true. You could've tried harder. Or you could've acquired the assistance of Dr. Rockwell."_

"I'm telling you," Donnie yelled, "it was completely hopeless! I did the right thing by putting Timothy down and sparing him the pain of living in such a painful existence!"

 _"Sparing him the pain?"_ Younger Donnie hissed. _"Are you kidding? You made him feel EXCRUCIATING pain in his final moments! You remember, don't you? His screams and that look of betrayal in his eyes. Oh, sorry, I meant, EYE."_

Donnie gritted his teeth and closed his eyes shut. "Shut up," he mumbled.

 _"He was your friend, Donatello. He trusted you once. He called you his hero._

"I know that," Donnie snapped. "And I failed him. You don't think I'm aware of that?"

 _"And you're about to give up on Leo, too. You're going to let the police kill him...if he doesn't kill himself first."_

"Leo chose this path himself. I'm not responsible for whatever happens to him."

 _"But you can prevent it."_

Donnie shook his head. "No. I won't get involved. I've got too much to lose."

 _"So you're saying that your job and reputation is more important than your brother's life?"_

Donnie banged on the sink furiously. "Why should I do anything for _him_?! He abandoned us! He's smeared our family's name with the blood of countless people! As far as I'm concerned, he's not my brother anymore!"

Younger Donnie's glare did not falter. _"You talk as though you're better than him. But you're not. You turned your back on your family. You betrayed a friend's trust and then tried to kill him. And now you're going to let your brother die because you're too conceited and selfish to help him."_

The cyborg Turtle's breathing became unsteady as those words began to sink in. "No...that's not..."

 _"Leo's not the only one who has tainted the Hamato name. You destroy and turn your back on people who need and depend on you."_

"N..No...stop it...!"

Younger Donnie sneered. _"You're a disgrace to the Hamato Clan. And you spit on Mikey's grave with your selfish-"_

" **SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!** " Donnie punched the mirror over and over again as he screamed, shattering the glass and leaving shards on the floor. After a few minutes of punching and screaming, he finally regained his composure. He panted and wheezed, gripping the sink to support himself, and he looked down at the shards of glass on the tile floor.

Instead of his reflection, the scattered pieces each showed a memory that he spent thirty years trying to forget. One piece showed him and Mikey as babies, not long after they mutated. Mikey had his mouth on Donnie's leg and the older Turtle whined in protest. Another showed a memory of when he was six, after he fell and scraped his knee. Leo knelt down and gently placed a Band-Aid on the wound before giving Donnie a loving pat on the head.

More and more memories appeared on each shard. Donnie was holding April in his arms and smiled down shly at her. Raph had Donnie in a headlock during training and was giving him a playful noogie. Timothy was fangirling over the awesome adventure he just had with the Ninja Turtles. Mutagen poured all over Timothy and he transformed into a blob monster. Mikey was being torn apart by Super Shredder in front of his eyes. Raph was begging for him to stay during their father's funeral. Leo smiled sadly at him as he walked out of the lab.

The final shard showed a memory of him and his brothers when they were nine. They were sitting in a circle in the dojo. Leo stood up and cleared his throat.

 _"Okay, let's say the oath,"_ he said, raising his left hand and place his right over his heart. The others did the same. _"Repeat after me. I, Leonardo..."_

 _"I, Leonardo!"_ Mikey squeaked happily.

Donnie rolled his eyes. _"No, Mikey, you're supposed to say, 'I, Michelangelo.'"_

 _"Oh. I, Michelangelo!"_ _"I, Donatello..."_ _"I, Raphael..."_

 _"...swear on my life..." Leo continued._

 _"...swear on my life..." the other Turtles repeated._

 _"...to always look after my brothers..."_

 _"...to always look after my brothers..."_

 _"...to put my family first before anything..."_

 _"...to put my family first before anything..."_

 _"...and to stick together no matter what."_

 _...and to stick together no matter what."_

 _"Okay, now let's do the blood oath,"_ Leo held up a small sewing needle.

Mikey whimpered a bit and scooted closer to Raph. _"Do we_ have _to do?"_

Raph scowled and slapped the back of Mikey's head. _"Come on, you big baby! It's not that bad!"_

 _"Actually, I share Mikey's concern,"_ Donnie said a bit nervously. _"You could catch certain diseases through blood oaths. There have been reports."_

 _"So you're saying I might catch Mikey's stupid?"_ Raph snickered.

Mikey glared at him and stuck out his tongue.

 _"Come on, guys, this is a serious oath we're about to take here,"_ Leo said. _"We have to stick to it until the day we die. And I doubt we'll get sick, Donnie. You worry too much about that stuff anyway. I'll go first."_ He winced as he pricked his finger with the needle. He then passed the needle to Raph, who pretended not to feel any pain as he pricked his own finger. When he offered it to Mikey, the freckled Turtle whimpered and shook his head. Raph rolled his eyes and huffed before he came up with an idea.

 _"Alright, Mikey,"_ he calmly said, _"let's settle this with rock-paper-scissors. If you win, you won't have to take the blood oath. If I win, you'll stop being a big baby and prick your finger. Okay?"_

Mikey nodded and held up his fist. Raph raised his and together they chanted, _"Rock...paper...scissors...GO!"_ Raph had paper while Mikey had scissors.

 _"HA!"_ Mikey smiled triumphantly. _"Scissors beats pa-OW!"_

While Mikey had his fingers in the scissors formation, Raph took the opportunity to quickly prick one of them with the needle.

 _"You tricked me!"_ Mikey shouted before he placed his bleeding finger into his mouth.

Raph only smirked. He predicted that Mikey would pick scissors because he always did. He handed the needle to Donnie, who quickly pricked his needle, watching a tiny dot of blood form.

They turned to one another, rubbing their fingers together and mixing their blood, and after they were finished, Leo smiled at his brothers and held out his fist. _"Remember, we must stick to the oath, no matter what happens in the future."_

The four young Turtles fist bumped, nodding to each other. The vision faded, and Donnie could see his reflection again. He felt a shiver go down his spine as he stared down at his own robotic eyes. Had he always looked this frightening?

His knuckles were injured from the repeated punches to the mirror, and blood oozed from out of the cuts, dripping onto the floor.

 _"Do you remember now?"_ Younger Donnie's voice echoed in his head. _"Who you really are?"_

Donnie felt a lump form in his throat and the oil spilling out of his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a choked sob. His knees gave out and he dropped to the floor, not caring that the shards were digging into his hand.

 _"You're not a machine. You're Hamato Donatello. And your family needs you. Remember the oath. It was more than just a promise made between a group of kids. It was a promise made between brothers."_

The cyborg Turtle began to wail and he bowed low to the ground, covering his head with his only arm. He didn't care if everyone outside the bathroom could hear him. For the first time since Mikey's death, Donnie let out his emotions.

As he continued to weep, he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder. He didn't look up to see who it was, but he didn't have to.

"It's okay, Donnie," Mikey's voice spoke softly to him. "Let it all out."

This made him cry even harder, and Mikey gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. He didn't know exactly how long he stayed like that, but it felt like an eternity before he finally calmed down. The spirit of his little brother knelt down and soothingly rubbed his shell.

"There," he said. "Feeling better?"

Donnie looked up at him, streaks of oil running down his cheeks. He tearfully laughed as he wiped his face. "More than I have in years." The smile dropped and he looked away from Mikey in shame. "Mikey, I...I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, bro," Mikey whispered, handing him a paper towel to clean the oil off his face.

"I broke my promise," Donnie gratefully took the towel and wiped the oil away. "Not just to Timothy, but to you guys, as well. I could've been there for Raph and Leo, but I was too busy being a selfish jerk."

"Yeah, but it's not too late," Mikey smiled warmly at him, taking his brother's hand which was still bleeding. Donnie looked on in amazement as the cuts suddenly disappeared, his knuckles completely healed. Mikey then pressed his finger against Donnie's, and the genius Turtle felt a warm sensation filling his heart and flowing through his veins. "Feel that, Donnie? Even after what happened years ago, we're still connected. I'm always with you, bro."

Donnie sniffled and smiled at him. "I know that now, Mikey. And I'm going to make things right again. That's a promise I intend to keep."

Mikey smiled even wider and lightly punched Donnie on the shoulder. "I knew you'd come through." Then he faded away, leaving Donnie alone in the bathroom.

Donnie looked at his reflection on one of the shards again. _I think I'll start by making a few adjustments to my appearance._

* * *

"Timothy was just trying to protect me," Shadow quietly said as she took another bite of the Mexican Pizza. She and Raph sat at a table in the Paraiso restaurant. After hearing about what happened last night, Ronny kindly offered to cook them a free meal. "He didn't deserve what happened to him," she looked down at her plate in sadness.

Raph sighed and reached over to pat Shadow on the shoulder. "I know, kid. I just wish that...you know, that I could've done something. That's another person I failed to save."

"Uncle Raph, you shouldn't beat yourself over it," the teen said. "You did try to help him. While everyone else gave up on him, you didn't."

The Ninja Turtle nodded and picked up his glass of water. "Yeah, but it wasn't enough." As he lifted the glass to his lips, his eye widened when he saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance to the restaurant.

What was left of Donnie's robotic right arm was a metal shoulder pad. And he had apparently replaced his cybernetic eyes with real auburn ones. Biting his lower lip, the Turtle stepped into the room and softly closed the door behind him.

"Raph?" he croaked. He looked and sounded as though he was crying. "I need to talk to you."

Raph only glared at him and turned his head away. "Get out of here, Donnie. I _really_ don't want to talk to you right now."

"Raph, please," Donnie's voice cracked.

At that moment, Ronny stepped out of the kitchen and noticed the stranger at the door. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, but we're closed for the night. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to-" He paused when he recognized the Turtle from Splinter's funeral. "Hey, wait a minute...you're Raph's brother, Tony, was it?"

"It's Donnie, actually," the cyborg Turtle politely corrected. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I need to talk to Raph."

"And I already told you to leave," Raph snapped.

"Uncle Raph, come on," Shadow softly said, taking Raph's hand. "He's your brother."

Ronny stepped over to the table. "I know it ain't none of my business," he said, "but you once told me that you wanted to bring your family back together. Well, now's your chance."

Raph closed his eye and sighed heavily. "Could everyone just please leave the room so that I can talk to him alone?"

"Sure," Shadow smiled and nodded. She followed Ronny into the kitchen, leaving the two Turtles alone together. Donnie walked to the table and took a seat directly across from Raph, who was still glaring at him.

Donnie cleared his throat. "Raph, I-"

"Before you start," Raph crudely interrupted, "let me speak my mind first. I think that what you did to Pulverizer was cruel and unjust, no matter what your excuses may be."

Donnie sighed and closed his eyes. "I know."

"You know, I looked up some information on him last night," Raph continued. "His mom never stopped searching for him for twenty-five years since his disappearance. Then she died in a car accident. As cruel as it sounds, I'm relieved that she's no longer alive, 'cause then I'd have to explain to her why her son was never coming home." He then sighed and rubbed his temples. "I can still hear the screaming."

"I know," Donnie repeated in a hushed, pained tone. "I can, too."

"I mean, what were you thinking, Donnie?!" Raph started to yell angrily. "If you wanted to put him out of his misery, you could've just blown his brains out with your gun instead of using an untested drug on him!" He paused when he realized what he just said. "Oh, god...what am I saying?" He lightly pounded his forehead with his fist.

"No, I understand what you meant, Raph," Donnie softly told him. He then buried his head in his hands and let out a shaky sigh. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to," Raph coldly said. "Unfortunately, it's too late."

Donnie looked up at him with watery eyes. "I'm apologizing to you, too, Raph. To everyone I've hurt." When Raph raised an eye ridge at him, Donnie continued to explain. "I've been selfish and put my work before my family. To be honest, I never really needed a job. I just wanted to numb the pain by working endlessly and sleeplessly. And for a long time, it worked."

He then smiled sadly as tears, not oil, slid down his cheeks. "But after last night, I realized that severing all ties to my family won't make things better. It's making things even worse. I...I lost sight of who I am. And I've forgotten the oath we took when we were kids."

Raph looked at him confused. "Oath?"

Donnie nodded. "The blood oath, remember?" To Raph's surprise, he took his brother's hand and pressed their fingers together. "I, Donatello, swear on my life to always look after my brothers, to put my family first before anything, and to stick together no matter what."

As Donnie restated the oath, Raph's mouth dropped open. He, indeed, remembered the oath they all took when they were kids, and he was surprised that Donnie remembered it too.

"I'm retaking the oath, Raph," Donnie said. "From now on, you and Leo come first. I want us to be a family again."

Raph chuckled in disbelief and shook his head, but he was teary-eyed. "This..." he choked, "this isn't a dream, right? This is really happening right now?"

Donnie smiled and walked around the table to embrace Raph, who gasped softly and stiffened. He buried his face in Raph's shoulder and hugged him even tighter. "Thanks for not giving up on us, Raph," he whispered.

Raph froze before he started to chuckle weakly, hugging Donnie back. Then he started to cry, shedding tears of joy. For the longest time, the two brothers just held each other, sobbing together. They eventually pulled apart, smiling at each other.

"So you got your old eyes back?" Raph asked as he dried his tears with a napkin.

"No, they're cybernetic eyes," Donnie sniffled. "But they're designed to look exactly like my real ones. Plus they secrete water instead of oil."

"Well, they certainly make you look less like a freak," Raph joked, to which Donnie chuckled and nodded his head in agreement.

 **Donnie's back in the family! Yes! :D**

 **So what happens next? 0.0**


	22. April's Announcement

**So we're jumping forward five months later!**

 **WARNING: Disturbing content in this chapter.**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _Five months later..._

"Honey, would you relax?" April huffed as Casey helped her down the stairs, supporting her by holding onto her arm. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I'm handicapped." A bulge was starting to form in April's stomach now that she was five months pregnant.

Casey gently patted her on the back. "I know, Red. I'm just...new at this. It was different with Shadow, considering that she was already-"

"Shhhh!" April shushed her husband as they got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh right, sorry," Casey whispered. He completely forgot that Shadow was in the kitchen eating breakfast.

When they stepped into the kitchen, she was sitting at the table and eating her cereal. Her hair was a complete mess and there were dark circles under eyes. She looked up from her bowl and greeted them with a small, tired smile. "Morning," she quietly said.

"Morning, honey," April kissed her forehead and brushed a few strands of hair from her daughter's face. "You look terrible," she said with a frown.

"Another rough night?" Casey asked her as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Mmm-hmmm," Shadow closed her eyes and slowly nodded her head. "The Foot Clan seems to get more and more members every day."

"But that means more butts for you and Raph to kick," Casey chuckled as he sat down at the table.

"Heh, yeah, I guess so," Shadow said with a weak chuckle before she ate another spoonful of her cereal.

"Well, who wants homemade orange juice?" April asked her family as she walked over to the counter.

"No thanks, I'm good," Casey held up his coffee cup.

"Same," Shadow mumbled.

After placing an orange in the juicer and pouring herself a glass, April started to walk to the table when something crashed through the window and hit the glass in her hand, shattering it. Before she and the others could react, she gasped as something sharp hit her back. She dropped to the floor facedown, and to Casey and Shadow's horror, a couple of shurikens were sticking out of her back.

"OH, GOD! _APRIL!_ " Casey started to get out of his chair when another shuriken flew through the window and embedded itself deep in his throat. Casey choked on his own blood and fell to his knees, gripping his bleeding neck.

Shadow screamed as her father slumped to the floor, his blood merging with the orange juice. "DAD! MOM!" More shurikens flew through the window and Shadow ducked just in time. She hid under the table just as the front door banged open and several Foot ninjas came sprinting into the living room. A couple of them ran into the kitchen and unsheathed their swords, looking for their remaining target. Shadow looked around for a weapon to use and saw a large shard of glass lying on floor close to her.

She slid out from under the table and reached for it but a foot came crashing down on her hand. She screamed in pain as the ninja applied more and more pressure, nearly crushing her bones. Some of the others even laughed cruelly at her suffering.

Shadow then heard metallic footsteps approaching the kitchen and lifted her head. Her green eyes widened as the Shredder himself stood over her, his cold red eyes glowing and sending shivers down her spine. "You...you're..." she rasped.

"Yes," Shredder said with a dark chuckle. "I am he."

Anger tears formed in Shadow's eyes as she glanced over at the lifeless body of her mother on the floor. "How could you..." she snarled at him. "She was... _pregnant!_ "

"Was she now?" Shredder merely shrugged. "Oh, well."

This infuriated Shadow even further and she elbowed the ninja's leg with all of her strength. The ninja screamed in pain as he held his now broken leg, and Shadow used this opportunity to grab the shard and charged at the Shredder. Surprisingly, the Shredder didn't move and allowed her to stab him in the neck. But as soon as the glass hit the impenetrable metal, she knew that she screwed up.

Shredder chuckled before he drove his blades right through her abdomen. Shadow gasped and coughed as she instinctively grabbed his arm, blood gurgling out of her mouth.

He leaned down and whispered cruelly in her ear, "You and your master should never have interfered with our work, _Akari_." He then pulled his blades out of her body and the teen collapsed onto the floor, a puddle of blood forming around her body. She twitched and coughed for several minutes before she finally went limp and the life in her eyes faded away...

...

 _" **NOOOO** **!** "_ Raph shot up in his bed as he screamed. His whole body was slick from perspiration and he breathed heavily as he got a bearing of his surroundings. Once he realized that it was only a nightmare, he let out a sigh of relief and laid back down.

But this wasn't the first time he dreamt of Shadow meeting her demise at the hands of Shredder. Ever since the teen began her training under him, the Ninja Turtle would have a horrible dream every now and then about her dying, which the spirit of Splinter assured him that it was perfectly normal. The rat, himself, had nightmares about his sons being killed during a mission, which was why he pushed them harder during training so that they'd be prepared for anything.

It wasn't just Shadow he was worried about. April and Casey were also on the Foot's radar due to their connection to the Turtles, and if the Shredder ever found out about their daughter's secret identity, he'd immediately order his men to execute the whole family in their own home.

Even though he didn't want to bother April, and even though he had done it about a thousand times already, Raph still wanted to make sure that she was okay and reached for the T-phone that lay on the drawer next to his bed.

...

Just as April was about to step into her car, the phone in her purse started to ring. She rolled her eyes. Raph again. She dug around her purse for her phone, answered it, and put it to her ear. "Another bad dream, Raph?"

Raph chuckled sheepishly. _You know me so well. Sorry._

April smirked despite herself. "I'm fine, Raph. We all are. I'm just getting ready to go to work."

 _'Kay. Listen, April...if you ever run into an trouble..._

"I know," she softly said. "I'll call you immediately. But seriously, Raph, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

 _Yeah, I know that. So, uh, how's Shadow doing? And the rugrat?_

April giggled. "Well, Shadow is in school right now, while my little one is still cuddled up in my womb." She fondly stroked her now pregnant belly.

 _Still don't know if it's a boy or a girl?_

"Funny you should ask that. I'm actually going to the clinic after work for an ultrasound examination. We should find out the baby's gender today."

 _Really? That's great! Can't wait to hear the results! Let me know as soon as possible!_

"Will do. Bye, Raph." She hung up and stepped into her car, preparing to drive to work.

* * *

As Shadow reached into her locker for her books, she noticed from the corner of her eye Danny Pennington approaching her down the hall. She quickly looked away and pretended not to notice him as he walked pass her. Ever since their breakup, they hadn't spoken to each other and were like complete strangers, which greatly confused everyone, especially Sloane.

After Danny passed by them, Sloane nudged her best friend. "Hey, when are you and Danny gonna make up already?" she asked her.

Shadow sighed and slammed her locker shut. "Never, I guess," she mumbled sadly.

"Aw, come on, Shad! You and Danny were the perfect couple!"

"Well, then I guess we weren't as perfect as you thought we were. Danny said we were too different...whatever that means."

"Okay, then work out your differences! You can't give up on him this easily! After all, you still like him. I can tell."

Shadow shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I've got too much stuff going on in my life right now to care about boys."

"Seriously?" Sloane raised an eyebrow. "Like what kind of stuff?"

"You know, just...stuff. Anyway, we need to get to class." Shadow then turned and walked down the hall.

Sloane remained standing for a moment, watching her best friend with concern. She wished that she knew what happened between Shadow and Danny so that she could help more. But the blonde girl had been distancing herself from her friends lately and was always too busy doing something. Sloane was beginning to worry that her friend was involved with something illegal like a drug trafficking business or a gang.

What she didn't know was that during the night, Shadow was training to be a ninja and was protecting the city alongside her master.

* * *

It was another hectic day at work for Donatello.

The inventor let out a heavy sigh as he practically collapsed onto the couch. He smiled as he noticed the cup of hibiscus tea that was on the small glass table before him. He picked it up and took a sip of the soothing tea, already feeling more relaxed. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a calico cat resting in a chair. It's ears flattened as it hissed at him. Donnie merely scowled at the animal and continued to drink his tea.

"Another rough day?" A woman's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Pretty much," Donnie answered her. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

A woman in her late forties with beautiful waist-length black hair and wearing a white silk robe and a turtle shaped pendant stepped into the living room and walked around the couch. She sat down next to the Turtle and stroked the dome of his bald head, smiling gently at him with her amber eyes.

"You know," she spoke to him softly, "if you would just build another arm, it would be a whole of easier for you to do your work."

Donnie chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "No. It serves as a reminder about what I did to Timothy."

The woman looked at her lover with sad eyes and squeezed his fleshy hand. "Honey, there's no point in punishing yourself. It won't bring him back."

"I know, but...losing an arm is nothing compared to what Timothy was put through. Besides, if Raph can still fight crime with only one eye, then I can fight with just an arm." He laid his head down in her lap and gazed up lovingly at her. "Have I ever told you lately how much I love tasting your lips?"

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "Only about a million times." She leaned down to gently kiss him, rubbing the palm of her hand over his plastron as she did, which made him churr. Her hair ticked his face and he breathed in her mocha scented shampoo.

When they pulled apart, Donnie smiled and licked his lips. "Hmmm...like strawberries."

She chuckled and playfully tapped him on the beak. "By the way, your brother called. He's holding a meeting in the lair at midnight. He wants you to come."

Donnie frowned and started to rub her exposed smooth leg. "Aw, but I was in the mood for some cuddling tonight," he whined.

"We can cuddle later," she said with an amused smile.

"Oh, alright," he pouted as he sat back up and drank more of his tea. "By the way, Gaia, you really need to brush Celeste." He picked off a bit of white cat hair from the cushion of the couch.

On cue, Celeste the cat jumped onto the couch and climbed into Gaia's lap, purring in contentment. She turned her head and looked up at Donnie with what appeared to be a smug grin on her face. The Turtle knew that the cat was gloating over the fact that she was going to receive more attention than him tonight.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming," Raph said to the group that sat in the T.V area. The Mutanimals, April, Casey, Karai, Donnie, and Shadow were all present at the meeting in the lair later that night. Chompy attended, too, although he was sleeping at Shadow's feet. "You're probably wondering why I called this meeting."

"Does it concern the Foot and this new Shredder?" Slash asked.

"Yes, actually," Raph said. "I know you guys are retired and have already disbanded, but if we're ever gonna take the Shredder down, we have to work together. Shadow and I can't do this by ourselves."

"Yeah," Mondo nodded his head, "I totally agree with Raph."

Pigeon Pete, who was munching on a loaf of bread, looked up and gave Raph a thumbs up. "Me too!" he excitedly said with his mouth full, spitting crumbs everywhere.

Dr. Rockwell, however, didn't seem as enthusiastic. "Hmmm," the chimp rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, when I retired fifteen years ago, I intended to _stay_ retired. After all, I'm not getting any younger."

Slash glared down at Rockwell and roughly slapped him on the back, nearly making the chimp nearly topple over. "Well, then use your brain instead of brawn! I, for one, am gonna stay at Raph's side no matter what and together we'll put an end to the Foot Clan once and for all." He pointed an accusing finger at Rockwell. "If _you_ want to sit on your butt while _we_ go out and save the city, then be my-"

"Slash," Rockwelll interrupted him, "you didn't let me finish. I was going to say, although it would be nice to live a quiet, retired life..." He smirked and adjusted his glasses. "...taking down the Foot is much more fun."

Donnie chuckled. "For once, I agree with you, Rockwell. And I have more than enough MetalCops to take on a whole clan of ninjas."

"So there's a good chance we'll win this war?" Shadow asked as she stroked Chompy's head.

"I'd say more than a chance," Karai said with a smirk.

"Let's not get too cocky, now," Raph warned. "We still don't know just how dangerous and powerful the Shredder is. In fact, based on what I've seen and heard, I'm not even sure if he's human."

"Regardless," Donnie stood up and walked over to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder, "we'll figure out a way to beat him-together."

Raph smiled gratefully at him and reached up to squeeze Donnie's hand. "Thanks, bro." He turned to the rest of the group. "So what about the rest of you guys? You in?"

"Frick, yeah!" Mondo said with a thumbs up.

Pigeon Pete fist pumped in the air. "WHOOO! The Mutanimals are back in town!"

Slash chuckled and nodded his head. "Yeah, that's right, Pete. We are."

"Good," Raph nodded. "Now onto the next topic. April, I believe you have something to share with us."

All eyes turned to the news reporter, who smiled and rubbed her womb. Casey wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled proudly at his wife.

"Well, I just got back from the doctor's office," April told the group. "And according to the ultrasound..." She looked directly at Shadow. "...it's a boy."

Shadow stated wide-eyed at her mother while the others cheered and congratulated the couple. "I'm...I'm gonna have a little brother?" she whispered in awe.

"That's right, honey," April smiled warmly at her.

The teen let out a sigh of relief. "Good, 'cause I was _not_ looking forward to playing with dolls or having tea parties."

Karai got up and gave April a hug. "April, I'm so happy for you. So what are you going to name him?"

April looked over at Raph. "Well, we do have a name in mind, but we need Raph's permission first."

Raph smiled at her human friend and shook his head. "April, whatever name you and Casey pick for the baby, it's fine with me."

April glanced up at Casey, who nodded. Taking a deep breath, she approached the Ninja Turtle and took his hand. "We want to name the baby...Mikey."

Raph's emerald eye widened and his mouth opened into a silent gasp. He was surprised by April's decision to name her baby after his beloved youngest brother. The announcement brought a tear to his eye and his heart melted. Swallowing back his tears, he squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

"April," he choked, "it would be an honor to have my new nephew named after Mikey."

Smiling tearfully, April wrapped her arms around Raph and whispered a "thank you" to him.

 **Gaia is BrightLotusMoon's character while Celeste is named after Celeste38.**

 **Awww...April's new baby will be named "Mikey"!**


	23. The Turtle and the Serpent, Part 1

**An intense moment will take place in this chapter! 0.0**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _"Lights Out."_

A MetalCop stomped down the hall of the prison. After all of the lights went out, the robot turned on its night vision. As it continued down the hall, it detected a presence and went on full alert and defensive mode.

Something moved from out of the shadows and charged at the MetalCop. The robot turned in time to see a large Turtle coming at it with twin katanas. It was the last image that it recorded before its head was severed from its body.

* * *

"Annnnnd done!"

Donnie took a step back and admired his handiwork: the newly rebuilt Metalhead. It looked exactly as it did thirty years ago before it was destroyed. It took him nearly twenty hours to accomplish this. Hopefully all that hard work would be worth it.

He crossed his fingers and took a deep breath.

"Metalhead on."

Upon voice command, the robot's eyes turned on and he slowly turned his head as he looked at his surroundings.

"Metalhead?" Donnie got the robot's attention.

Metalhead just stared at his maker for a moment before he suddenly lunged at him and pinned him to the floor. Donnie gasped as he felt the life being squeezed right out of him. Was he trying to kill him?

 _ **"DADDY!"**_

"...huh?" Did he hear him right? Did Metalhead just call him "daddy"?

Metalhead affectionately rubbed his head against the side of Donnie's face. _**"Daddy!"**_ he said again in a mechanical voice.

"Oh, no..." He must've crossed some wires or something, 'cause this was _not_ supposed to happen. Still, it was great to see his old robot again. Chuckling weakly, he patted the top of his head. "Good to see you again, Metalhead. Sorry it took so long." He gently pushed Metalhead off and stood back up. "You remember me, don't you?"

Metalhead titled his head and then pointed at him again. _**"Daddy."**_

"Heh, no, I'm Donatello. Don-a-tell-o. Your maker. Remember?"

Metalhead repeated his words. **_"Don-a-tell-o...Maker...Daddy!"_**

Donnie sighed and rolled his eyes. "I guess not."

The robot made curious chirping noises as he noticed a magnifying glass on a table. He picked it up and inspected it. Then all of a sudden he repeatedly banged it against the edge of the table, shattering the glass and laughing as he did.

"HEY! HEY!" Donnie immediately snatched the magnifying glass out of his hand. The robot made a whimpering sound as his "toy" was taken from him.

Huh. So Metalhead now had the mentality of a young child. How did that happen?

Suddenly Chet's voice echoed in the lab. _**Donatello?**_

 _ **"EEEP!"**_ The voice startled Metalhead and he quickly hid under the table.

"It's okay, Metalhead," he softly assured the robot. "What is it, Chet?"

 ** _There Was A Break In At The Griffin Correctional Facility._**

Donnie raised an eye ridge. "Break in? Who in their right mind would want to break _into_ a prison? What are we dealing with here? Foot? Mutant?"

 ** _Unknown. But One Of Our MetalCops Was Able To Catch The Perpetrator On Camera Right Before It Was Destroyed._**

"Destroyed?" Donnie ran to his desk and sat in front of his computer. "Chet, show me the recording."

A video recording in night vision appeared on the screen. For a few minutes, it showed the prison hall as the MetalCop walked down it. Then all of a sudden it turned swiftly and a large dark figure leapt at it from behind. The screen then went static, indicating its demise at the hands of the perpetrator.

But there was something familiar about him.

"Chet, rewind and pause right before the video ends."

The video reminded and paused right at the moment when the figure leapt at the MetalCop. It was a bit blurry, but Donnie could still make out the perpetrator's face.

"Oh no..." He reached for his phone on the table and pressed the button to call Raph.

* * *

Chompy growled playfully as he leapt at Shadow, who quickly jumped out of the way. They wrestled and tackled with each other in the dojo for nearly fifteen minutes.

"Ha, come on, boy!" Shadow said in between pants. "You can do better than that!"

The giant space turtle wagged his tail and charged at her again. The teen jumped onto his shell and started riding him like a bull. Chompy wiggled, jumped, and kicked wildly as he tried to get her off, and Shadow even began to yell "yeehaw!" like a cowgirl.

At that moment, Raph walked in and saw the two play fighting. He shook his head and crossed his arms. "You're supposed to be training in the dojo, not bull riding," he sternly said.

"Huh?" As Shadow looked up at her Sensei, Chompy took the opportunity to wiggle the distracted teen off his shell. She was sent flying across the dojo and landed roughly on the floor, although she wasn't seriously hurt.

Groaning and chuckling at the same time, Shadow looked up at Raph with a sheepish grin. "But I _am_ training. Bull riding helps enhance your flexibility."

Chompy stomped over to her and licked her cheek with his big pink tongue, checking to see if she was alright. Shadow smiled at him and affectionately patted his head.

"Really?" Raph said as he approached them. "Well, Chompy isn't a bull. And you're not training to be a cowgirl." He flicked her on the forehead and smirked at her. "You're training to be a ninja."

Just then the phone in his belt started to ring and pulled it out to answer. "Hello?"

 _Raph._

"Oh, hey, Donnie. What's up?"

 _He's at it again._

"Who?"

 _Leo. This time he's targeting a prison._

"...What?"

 _Raph...I think he's going to kill all of the prisoners inside._

He slowly lowered the phone as the words slowly sank in. "No..."

* * *

When Raph, Donnie, and Shadow arrived at the front gate, the warden and five prison guards were tied up to light poles, all of them seemingly unconscious. Donnie rushed over to them and checked them over.

"They're okay," he told the others. "They were just knocked out."

Shadow looked up at the high tower that overlooked the entire prison. "I don't get it. I thought this was the best maximum security prison in the city? How could Leo have gotten past their tight security?"

"Kraang prisons were hardly a challenge for him," Raph mumbled.

Donnie placed his hand on a scanner that was built into the surrounding concrete wall, and immediately the gates opened.

Raph looked at his brother in surprise. "Wait, you mean you can come in whenever you please?"

"Of course," Donnie said as they walked through the gates. "After all, I built the security system myself."

"I thought you only build MetalCops?"

Donnie looked over his shoulder at Raph and smirked. "Well, I can't limit myself to just one hobby or else I'll go mad from boredom."

...

Once they got inside, Donnie handed Raph a survellience earpiece. "We'll contact each other through this while I guide you from the surveillance room."

Raph nodded and put the earpiece on. "Got it. Shadow, stick with Donnie while I go look for Leo."

"Yeah, fine," Shadow mumbled. Although she wanted to stay with him, she obeyed and followed Donnie to the surveillance room.

...

To Raph's great relief, every cell he had passed by so far was still filled with live criminals. No one suffered the wrath of the Serpent...yet. Scattered all over the floor were parts of recently destroyed MetalCops.

One man that had a mohawk noticed Raph walking by and ran toward the bars of his cell. "Hey! Hey! I know you! Yer one of those ninja Turtles!" He angrily pointed a finger at him. "You threw me in jail thirty years ago! When I get outta here, I'm gonna wring yer neck! Ya hear me?! Yer dead meat!"

Raph merely scoffed and shook his head as he continued down the hall. "Can't believe I'm protecting _these_ bums," he muttered to himself. He turned on his communicator and spoke into it. "Donnie, you see anything?"

...

In the surveillance room, Donnie sat in front of a large wall of screens. Both he and Shadow looked at each one, looking for any sign of the vigilante Turtle in the facility. The genius Turtle heard his brother talk to him on the radio and shook his head.

"No," he said. "We don't see any sign of- wait..."

Something caught his attention in the screen that showed the cafeteria. Sitting on one of the tables was a figure drinking out of a cup. Donnie enhanced and enlarged the video, and once he saw who it was he immediately contacted Raph.

"RAPH!"

 _Ah! Don't scream in my ear like that!_

"Sorry! I found him! He's in the cafeteria!"

* * *

Raph barged through the doors of the cafeteria and sure enough, Leo was sitting at a table, nonchalantly drinking out of a styrofoam cup, which was extremely odd. The Serpent turned his head as he heard Raph enter the room and gave him what seemed like a sad smile.

"Hi, Raph," Leo calmly said.

Raph raised an eye ridge at him. "Leo, what are you doing?"

"Preparing my final act as the Serpent," Leo said as he took another sip.

Raph visibly tensed at those words. "Your... _final_ act? What are you talking about?"

Setting his cup on the table, Leo looked at Raph with somber, dull eyes. The eyes of a person who was ready to give up. "I'm tired, Raph," he softly. "I'm just...tired. I've been protecting this city for thirty years, yet it's still infested with scum. And no matter what I do, there will always be criminals out there going after the weak and innocent."

This gave Raph some hope. "So you're finally gonna leave the vigilante business and come back home?"

Leo shook his head. "No, Raph. I'm never coming back. In fact, I don't intend to leave this facility alive."

Raph's heart skipped a beat. "W-What?"

"I will leave this world and take over 200 prisoners with me." He then held up a device with a red button in his hand for Raph to see. "With just one press of a button."

...

From the surveillance room, Donnie watched Leo hold up the device.

 _Oh, god...please don't tell me..._

...

"Leo..." Raph whispered fearfully, backing up a bit. "Is that what I think it is?"

The vigilante Turtle nodded, smiling bitterly. "This is the detonator to a bomb I've got planted somewhere in this place."

A bomb. So that was his plan: to blow up the entire facility with him in it. Leo really had gone off the deep end. "Donnie..." he whispered.

 _I know, Raph,_ Donnie spoke to him through the communicator. _I heard him. Just keep him distracted. Don't let him push that button._

"Leo..." Raph took a step toward his brother, his hands out in front of him. "Just...just put that away."

Leo clenched the detonator in his hand, glaring at him. "You're not going to change my mind about this, Raph," he sternly said. "Get out of here before you blow up too."

Raph shook his head. "No. I won't let you do this. This has gone far enough, Leo. I'm tired of just standing by and watching you execute people. Besides, didn't you just say that no matter what you do, there will always be criminals in New York?"

"You're right, I did," Leo said. "But blowing up this facility will send a message to all criminals, one that will last for years to come."

"And what message is that?"

"That not even the prison walls will keep them safe. Judgment will come for them no matter where they hide. Even after I'm gone, the memory of the Serpent will haunt them forever."

Raph looked at him total disbelief. "Leo, this is just...crazy! Are you even hearing yourself right now?! You sound like a complete lunatic!" He lowered his tone and bravely took another step forward. "Come on, Leo. Just put that detonator down, tell me where the bomb is, and we'll go home together."

Leo's blue eyes glistened with sadness. "Home? I can never go home, Raph. Not after everything I've done. There's nowhere else for me to go...except hell."

...

"Keep him distracted, Raph!" Donnie barked as he frantically looked over the controls. "Come on...where is it...?" he mumbled to himself. Sweat began to form on his forehead from the stress.

Shadow looked over his shoulders, watching him trail his finger over the many buttons. "Um, what are you looking for?"

"The button that will unlock the door to every cell in the facility," he said. "We need to get the prisoners out of here before Leo does detonate the bomb."

The teenager looked at him as though he were crazy. "Wait, you mean you _want_ to free the criminals? Shouldn't we look for the bomb first before we do something this drastic?"

The Turtle whipped his head around and looked at her with fearful auburn eyes. "Getting those people out of harm's way is more important than looking for the bomb!" he snapped.

Shadow immediately held her hands up defensively. "Okay! Okay! Sheesh! Sorry!"

Donnie turned his attention to the buttons. Although he knew that he would be taking a great risk in freeing the prisoners, he couldn't just let them blow up, even if they did deserve it. It just wouldn't be right. Then he finally found what he had been looking for. "Ah-ha! Found it!" He wasted no time in pressing it.

...

"Come on, bro," Raph spoke gently to his brother, slowly walked toward him. "Don't talk like that. Please. I don't want to lose another brother. I can't." He reached a hand out to Leo. "Please, Leo."

For a moment, Leo stared at the hand being offered to him, then he looked up at Raph and opened his mouth to speak.

 _BUZZZZZ!_

Leo's head whipped in the direction of the buzzer that was sounding off. That could only mean one thing...!

Before he could act, though, Raph used the distraction as the perfect opportunity to knock the detonator out of his hand. It rolled to the other side of the room and Leo tried to run after it. But his brother had grabbed a hold of him and pinned him to the floor. Even as the two wrestled with each other vigorously, Raph spoke to Donnie on the communicator.

"DONNIE! LOCK THE CAFETERIA DOORS!"

 _"What?! But Raph-!"_

"DON'T ARGUE WITH ME! JUST DO IT!"

Within a few seconds, the doors to the cafeteria automatically shut, locking them both in.

Still pinned to the floor with his arms locked behind his shell, Leo looked up furiously at Raph. "YOU _IDIOT_!" he yelled. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE!"

Raph glared down at him. "Sure I do! I just saved more people from getting killed by _you_!" he spat.

Leo shook his head. "No! You don't understand! You just put the lives of innocent people in danger!"

"Look, they'll eventually catch all the criminals and put them back in j-"

"I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BOMB, RAPH!"

"...What?"

...

Shadow and Donnie watched as the criminals barged through the gate of the prison, whooping and celebrating their freedom. The genius Turtle sighed heavily and covered his face with his only hand.

"I am so getting fired for this," he mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if we did the right thing or not," Shadow said as she watched the screens.

Raph's urgent voice suddenly screamed into his earpiece. _DONNIE!_

Said Turtle immediately sat up at attention and spoke into the communicator. "What's wrong, Raph? What happened?"

 _THE BOMB'S NOT IN THE BUILDING!_

Donnie blinked. "...Come again?"

 _LEO CHAINED IT TO ONE OF THE PRISONERS!_

"...crap."

* * *

As the multitude of criminals continued to storm through the gates, one man with long white hair and tattoos all over his arms and chest tried to scream through the cloth that had been stuffed into his mouth. The Serpent gagged him so that he wouldn't scream for help. His arms had been chained to his waist and strapped onto his back was an explosive device.

...

 _He opened his eyes as he heard a loud crashing sound outside his cell. Sparks flew everywhere and a MetalCop's head clanked as it bounced across the floor in the hall. Alarmed and nervous, the man up in his bunk and watched as a shadowy figure with white eyes stood before the cell._

 _He unsheathed his swords and sliced right through the bars. He slid through the opening and approached the bunk. From the moonlight that shined through his window, the prisoner could make out the black snake symbol on the plastron and a familiar face._

 _"Leonardo...?"_

 _The Serpent gave him a predatory smile. "Hello, Hun. It's been a long time."_

 _Hun couldn't believe his eyes. "I don't..._ you _are the Serpent?"_

 _Leo nodded and pulled some chains from behind his shell. "That's right...and you will be my final prey."_

 _Before Hun could protest, Leo pinned him to the bed and stuffed a rag into his mouth. He quickly placed duck tape over his mouth to keep the gag in place and proceeded to bind him with the chains._

 _Leo chuckled cruelly as Hun let out muffled screams. "You should feel honored, Hun. You will be the very first one to enter the gates of hell."_

* * *

Leo kicked Raph off of him and sprinted to the exit. He tried prying the doors open but they were still locked.

"Forget it, Leo," he heard Raph tell him. "There's no escape."

Yelling in frustration, Leo pounded on the doors and faced his brother, fury in his blue eyes. "You need to let me go, Raph! Hun's out in the open with a bomb strapped to him!"

"Donnie's already on it," Raph calmly told him. "He'll find Hun and defuse the bomb." He pointed at Leo and lowered his eye ridges. " _You_ are not going anywhere."

"But...the police will come barging in here any time now! I'll be arrested!"

"Exactly."

Leo slowly widened his eyes before narrowing them into angry slits. "So that's how it's going to be, huh? You're turning me in. Your own brother?"

There was a look on Raph's face for a brief moment before he hardened his expression. "If that's the only way to keep you from hurting more people, then so be it."

Feeling betrayed and angry, Leo reached for the katana behind his shell and unsheathed them. "I didn't want to fight you, Raph," he venomously said. "But you leave me no choice."

With a heavy heart, Raph drew his twin sai and prepared himself.

It was brother against brother.

 **GASP! So Raph and Leo are going to fight?! Who will win?! Will Donnie find Hun before the guy accidentally sets off the bomb?! 80**


	24. The Turtle and The Serpent, Part 2

**Sooooo...despite the disappointing finale, I figured, "Welp, there's always my fic. Screw you Nick." I like this reality better. Oh, and I will include this ALTERNATE timeline in future chapters.**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"Ughh...oh man," a prison guard groaned as he slowly came to. Noticing that he couldn't move his arms, he looked down to himself bound with chains. And he wasn't alone. Other guards were chained along with him to a light pole.

"Hey," he nudged the guard on his left. "Hey, Brian, wake up!"

Brian slowly opened his eyes and groggily looked at his surroundings. "Ugh...what happened?"

The other guard, whose name tag spelled "Terrance", noticed that there were thousands of footsteps in the dirt around them, and in the distance, he could see that the prison gates were open. "Oh, no...don't tell me."

Brian followered his gaze and gasped. "No way. You gotta be kidding me."

Terrance shook his head. "'Fraid not. Looks like we got ourselves a breakout."

"But who could manage to get past our security and free over 200 prisoners?"

"Well, last thing I remember is running into this dark figure. My memory's a bit fuzzy, but thinking back on it, he kinda looked like a...I don't know, a turtle or something."

"Turtle?" Brian's blue eyes widened in realization. "You think maybe the Ninja Turtle did this?"

"No," Terrance said. "No, it couldn't have been him. Maybe it was the Serpent?"

"The Serpent? I thought he killed criminals, not free them from prison?"

As the two continued to debate, Hun, who was still gagged and bound with chains, staggered over to him, trying to scream through the cloth that had been stuffed into his mouth. Terrance and Brian both noticed him approaching, instantly recognizing him.

"Hun? What happened to you?" Brian asked him.

To answer his question, Hun turned around and showed them the bomb that had been strapped onto his back.

"My god," Terrance breathed, a look of sheer horror on his face. "Is that...a bomb?"

"Bomb?!" Brian started to panic and struggled to get out of his chains. "Get out of here!" he screamed at the former Purple Dragon leader, kicking his feet widely at him. "GET OUTTA HERE, YOU MANIAC, BEFORE YOU BLOW US ALL UP!"

"Brian, for God's sake!" Terrance scolded him. "We can't let him run loose with that bomb strapped on him!" He turned to Hun and spoke to him in a calmer tone. "Hun? Hun, calm down and listened to me. _Don't_ move. Help will be here shortly. We just have to wait for them, okay?"

Breathing heavily through his nose and sweat running down his forehead, Hun nodded before slowly sitting down on the ground. He really hoped that help _was_ on the way. And so did the guards.

* * *

"Oof!"

Leo grunted as he collided into the table. Raph had just delivered a powerful kick and sent his brother flying across the cafeteria. Groaning in pain and snarling, Leo lifted himself up and faced the Ninja Turtle.

"You're too weak to protect this city, Raph!" he angrily shouted.

Raph snorted, twirling his sais. "Oh, _I'm_ too weak? Who's kicking whose butt?"

Leo was clearly insulted by Raph's remark, but he quickly brushed it aside. "But you're too soft!" he retorted. "You're willing to let criminals run loose in the city instead of exterminating them like the scum that they are!"

"Showing mercy isn't weakness!" Raph argued. "Leo, you and I have both killed before. We're ninjas, after all. But there's a very thin line that distinguishes us from the bad guys. And that's our ability to show mercy. And you've crossed that line, Leo." With a somber expression on his face, he took a step toward his brother. "I'm sorry, bro, but right now, _you're_ too dangerous to be out on the streets."

Leo narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his swords, fury flowing through his veins. "No," he hissed. "I'd rather die than to be locked up with _them_."

Letting out an inhuman roar, he charged at his brother and they resumed the intense battle, the blades of their weapons clanking as they clashed. Even though Raph currently had the upper hand, he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long, especially since Leo was fueled by rage, which always made him even more dangerous and deadly.

* * *

"There he is! I see him!" Donnie shouted as he and Shadow got closer to where the guards were tied up.

At the sound of Donnie's voice, Hun turned his head and let out a muffled yelp once he saw the Turtle approaching him. It was the brother of Leonardo. Was he here to finish the job? He was about to run off when Donnie quickly grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"Hun, wait!" He turned the human to fully face him. "It's okay. I'm only here to help. Trust me."

Upon realizing that the genius Turtle meant him no harm, Hun began to relax, but only a little. Donnie eased him back on the ground and inspected the explosive device on his back.

Shadow leaned over him as he did. "Well? Think you can dismantle the bomb?"

Donnie let out a tense sigh. "I probably could, but I need to get as far away as possible while I'm doing this."

"Wait," Terrance called out to him. "You don't have to do that. Untie us and we'll call in the bomb squad."

"No," Donnie firmly told the guard as he carefully removed the bomb and held it gingerly in his hand. "I can't let anyone else take that risk. This is my brother's handiwork. I need to do this myself." He turned to Shadow. "Shadow, I need you to stay here with the guards. And do **not** untie them until I get back."

"Say what?!" Both Terrance and Brian simultaneously shouted.

"Sorry!" Donnie apologized to them with a sheepish smirk. "I can't it explain it now but I will later!" He couldn't let the guards into the facility, not when Raph and Leo were still locked in the cafeteria.

Shadow didn't want to leave her uncle alone with the bomb, but she nodded. "Okay. But please be careful, Uncle Donnie, and good luck."

Donnie nodded back and gave her a quick pat on the shoulder before darting away with the bomb. "Yeah, I'm gonna need it," he mumbled.

* * *

"AAH!"

Raph gripped his now bleeding shoulder and stumbled back a bit. Leo had managed to slash him with his katana in the midst of the battle. Judging by the crazed look in his eyes, what Raph was facing wasn't his brother, but the Serpent at his worst. And the police could barge in there any minute.

Raph knew that he was quickly running out of time.

Leo slowly stomped over to him, breathing heavily with white predatory eyes. Raph didn't think it to be possible, but he was actually scared of his brother.

"Leo," Raph rasped, backing away from Leo as he got closer. "I-I just wanted all these killings to stop, because this isn't who you are. I'm...I'm only doing this for your own good."

The Serpent didn't stop walking, one of his katanas dripping with the Ninja Turtle's blood.

But Raph didn't stop trying. "I know you don't believe me right now, but I still love you, brother," he softly said, his emerald eye glistening with unshed tears.

Leo only sneered at him. "You _love_ me? What a joke. If you really love me, then you'll either let me go or kill me right here and now."

The Ninja Turtle shook his head sadly. He could never bring himself to do the latter, and he knew that Leo shouldn't be allowed to roam the streets and kill even more people, even if it was in the name of justice. "Leo, I can't do either of those things. You have to turn yourself in."

"NEVER!" Leo roared as he charged at Raph.

Raph quickly put his guard up and dodged and blocked every swipe of Leo's katanas, although he knew that he couldn't keep it up forever.

* * *

He could hear police sirens getting closer.

Donnie sucked in a deep breath. "Okay, stay calm," he muttered to himself. "Stay calm. Don't rush. Don't rush...!" Man, he really wished that he had both his arms right now, because defusing a bomb with just one was extremely challenging, especially under time pressure.

He looked at all the multicolored wires in the device. Red, blue, green, yellow. He just had to cut one, but if he chose the wrong wire, then it would be game over for him. Good thing he had chosen a remote area where no one else would get hurt in case he did screw up.

The cutter in his hand trembled and his heart was racing. The patrol cars were getting closer. Raph was still trapped in the facility.

He closed his eyes and started to do what he hadn't done in years: pray.

 _Please...help me...what do I do? Please tell me...Mikey?_

A memory instantly flashed in his mind, to a similar scenario when he had to choose which wire to cut in order to defuse a Kraang bomb.

 _"Which do I cut- black or green?"_

 _"Go for the green!"_

Donnie sighed and closed his eyes. "Why not?" he said with a crooked grin. "If I do mess up, at least we'll be together again, Mikey."

Making what would possibly be his final decision, Donatello cut the green wire.

 _Snip!_

...

Nothing happened, except that the tiny red button on the device instantly turned off, indicating that he had succeeded in defusing it.

Letting out a sigh of tremendous relief, Donnie fell on his butt and chuckled weakly. He looked up at the starry sky above him and smiled fondly. "Thanks, Mikey," he whispered.

* * *

Raph grunted as he was pinned to the wall, both of Leo's swords at his throat. He looked at Leo with a pleading, wet eye.

"Leo, please..." he choked.

Leo's glare did not falter and he only pressed the swords even further into his brother's neck. Raph hissed in pain as he felt the sting of the blades.

"Out of all my brothers," Leo said in a low, cold voice, "I always trusted you the most, Raphael. Or at least I thought I could trust you."

Raph felt blood trickling from down his neck and his heart breaking in half. What happened to their bond? Their trust in each other?

"You..." he slowly lifted his hand and gently placed it on Leo's plastron, earning a surprise look from his brother. "...you have to trust me even now. If you'll just...let go of your anger and...turn from your current path...then we can leave this place together. We'll heal...together. I can't do this without you, Leo. Please."

Leo's midnight blue orbs returned briefly, and they looked right into Raph's emerald one. Raph held his breath. Had he finally gotten through to him?

But then Leo's eyes became white again and he narrowed them. "No," he growled. "I'm never going to stop, Raph. Especially now that you've ruined my final mission."

He removed one of the blades from Raph's neck and pressed it against the other Turtle's right arm. "Maybe I should just cut both your arms off, so that you won't get in my way again."

Raph's eye widened in shock and disbelief. He knew that Leo meant it. But how could he even think about doing such a horrible thing to his brother? Or perhaps this wasn't his brother. Not anymore.

He never wanted to admit it. He didn't want to give up hope. But it was time to face reality. The Leo he knew and loved was no longer in there. Only the Serpent remained.

He felt the sword slowly digging into the his elbow.

He narrowed his only eye and gritted his teeth. No more playing around. He had given Leo more chances than he deserved. But enough was enough.

"RRRRAAAAHHHHH!"

He jerked his head back as he roared and then headbutted Leo with all his strength. The older brother stumbled backwards and held his bleeding forehead, groaning in pain.

But Raph didn't stop there. He then knocked Leo to the ground and began to pummel him. His eye was was white with rage as he repeatedly punched the Turtle below him. He saw, heard, and felt nothing.

Only burning anger.

But as he just as he pulled his fist back for one more blow, a warm hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"RAPH! STOP!"

Raph instantly snapped back to reality at the sound of his little brother's voice. He turned and saw Mikey behind him, looking at him with pleading, wet light blue eyes.

"Please stop, Raph," Mikey's voice cracked slightly. "Look at him."

Reluctantly, Raph looked back down at Leo and gasped at all the damage he had done in his moment of blind rage.

Nearly all of Leo's face was swollen and covered in bruises, and blood was practically pouring from out of his nose and mouth. He slowly lifted his eyelids and his bloodshot dull eyes looked straight into his. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out were gurgled coughs as he started to choke on his own blood.

Raph slowly shook his head in denial and horror. "No...no, I-I couldn't have...Leo, I'm..."

He looked back to where Mikey stood, but the spirit of his brother was no longer there.

Suddenly Donnie's urgent voice spoke to him through the communicator in his ear. _Raph! You need to get out of there now! I'm unlocking the cafeteria doors!_

A loud buzzing sound echoed in the room and the doors immediately opened. Raph looked toward the exit before turning back to the injured Turtle on the floor.

Leo was obviously too weak to move and he could only stare up at Raph, silently pleading him with his eyes not to leave him there.

Donnie screamed in his ear again. _Raph!_ _Get out of there NOW!_

Raph felt his eye burn with tears and a lump forming in his throat. He knelt down and took Leo's hand. The former leader's eyes lit up with hope for a moment, believing that his brother was going to help him.

But hurt flashed across Leo's face as Raph suddenly handcuffed him to the leg of a table. The Ninja Turtle stood back up and gave Leo one last sad look.

"I'm sorry, Leo."

He then sprinted to the exit, leaving his brother there for the police to find.

* * *

 _This just in: the vigilante known as the Serpent has finally been captured._

 _Around 11:30 pm last night, police responded to a jailbreak at the Griffin Correctional Facility. To their shock, more than 200 of New York's worst escaped. But they also found the Serpent, beaten to a bloody pulp and handcuffed to a table in the cafeteria._

 _Police are still searching for the escaped prisoners throughout the city, but so far there has been little progress._

* * *

Donnie gulped as he patiently waited for the mayor to speak. That morning, he was told by his employers that he was to report to the mayor's office at once, and he knew that it couldn't have been good news.

The elected head of New York City sat at his desk directly across from Donnie, rubbing his temples. Finally, he looked at the Turtle with tired eyes and a wrinkled frown on his face.

"Mr. Hamato," he said in a calm voice, "when I personally assigned you to install the security at the Griffin Correctional Facility, it was meant to keep prisoners _in_ , not to let them _out_."

"S-Sir," Donnie began to explain himself, "I know that you-"

"No," the mayor interrupted him with a slam on the desk. "I trusted you with the very safety of my citizens." His voice started to get louder and angrier as he continued to speak. "But instead, you endanger their lives by letting over 200 **_murderers_** and _**rapists**_ BACK ON THE STREETS!"

Donnie slightly sunk his head back into his shell.

The mayor let out a heavy sigh and turned his chair around, facing the window that overlooked the city. "I understand why you did what you did. I am fully aware that there was a bomb in that building. But, although it sounds cruel, letting those criminals die in the explosion would've been better than to set them free."

Donnie couldn't believe the words he was hearing from out of the mayor's mouth. "Sir, I...that's not how I was brought up. I believe that _all_ lives matter, and I can't sacrifice anyone, not even the worst of offenders."

The mayor slowly turned his chair back around, a look of disappointment on his face. "I see," he said. "Well, perhaps it would be best if I were entrust the safety of New York to someone else."

Donnie's auburn eyes slowly widened. "Wh-What does that exactly mean, sir?"

"It means, Mr. Hamato, that your services will be no longer required at Morph Enterprises. The board unanimously agrees with my decision. They are most displeased with your actions last night."

The Turtle's shoulders slumped and he looked down at his lap in defeat. "I...I understand, sir. I will clean out my lab immediately."

* * *

In the dojo, Raph was curled up in a ball as he continued to weep for his lost bond with his older brother. The betrayed look on Leo's bloodied face would not leave him.

"Leo...I'm so sorry...!"

* * *

 _Despite the grim situation, we at least owe our gratitude to the Ninja Turtle for capturing the Serpent and putting him behind bars at long last._

Standing in front of a large screen in his private room, the Shredder laughed as he watched the news.

"Oh, how ironic," he said with a chuckle. "The Ninja Turtle, his own brother. That's one less Turtle to worry about."

Just then there was a knock at his door. "Enter," he commanded.

A Foot ninja opened the door and bowed to his master. "Forgive my intrusion, Master, but the Salamandrian bounty hunter is here."

"He is?" The Shredder rubbed his metallic hands together. "Excellent. This day just keeps getting better and better."

 **Great. Can't get any worse, right?**


	25. Newtralizer Returns

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 **Warning: A disturbing backstory is included in this chapter.**

 ** _In another timeline..._**

Raph ran to the tent where his youngest brother resided and barged in. He found the skinny, frail mystic kneeling on a woven mat, smiling and humming with his eyes closed as though he was meditating. Ice Cream Kitty, who sat in a bowl next to him, waved at Raph as he entered.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" the larger, older Turtle asked his brother. "Donnie said you needed to see me immediately."

Mikey opened his light blue eyes, still shining with wonder even after spending years alone in a desert wasteland. "I had a vision, Bromeo. I think it means something. Maybe it's a message from the universe."

Raph raised an eye ridge and sat down on the floor in front of him. "You sure it was a message from the universe and not just another hallucination from all those dung beetles that you ate this morning?"

The mystic began to wave his arms around dramatically as he began to describe the vision. "In my vision, I saw a maiden with long flowing golden hair. I think she may be an angel, 'cause her face shined bright like the sun and her eyes were as green as the Oasis."

"Uh-huh," Raph looked at him skeptically. He was never a Turtle who believed in angels or even God. "So what, an angel will be coming to visit us or something?" Said

Mikey chuckled and reached over to playfully tap Raph on his beak. "We're just gonna have to wait and see, won't we? And something tells me we won't have to wait long." The smile on his face faded and he looked down at the floor somberly. "Maybe she'll come to take at least one of us away to the next Paradise. You know, the one in the sky."

Raph immediately wanted to change the subject. He couldn't bear the thought of losing any of his brothers, not when they were all finally together again after so many years. "Come on, Mikey, don't talk like that," he said with a forced smile. "Nobody's going anywhere. We'll be together forever."

Mikey sighed softly and patted Raph's arm. "Remember what Master Splinter told us years ago, Raph: nothing lasts forever, not even family."

Not wanting to discuss the matter even further, Raph gently brushed Mikey's hand off his shoulder. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about this anymore. Anyway, Mira found some ripe apples in the woods earlier today. Come on, let's go eat."

* * *

 ** _In the current timeline..._**

Ronny whistled a merry tune as he took the garbage out through the back.

He was about to open the dumpster when he jumped at a loud crashing sound. He turned around swiftly and to his surprise, Raph was knocking down trash cans and kicking at them. In his hand was a beer bottle.

Beer? Oh, no...

Ronny ran to the clearly drunken Turtle but still kept a good distance away from him. "Raph! Raph, what are you doing?!"

Raph looked at him with a crazed eye. "What I do best...wreck everything!" He then picked up another trash can and slammed it against the brick wall.

The cook chuckled nervously as he looked at the devastation the Turtle was causing. "Heh, yeah, you're pretty good at it too. But you think you can tone it down a notch? You'll wake up the whole neighborhood, man."

"SO WHAT?!" Raph screamed, still taking his anger out on the trash cans. "What does it matter anymore?! I can't do anything right! I beat up my own brother and then throw him in jail! I was supposed to help him but instead I betrayed him!"

He stumbled and fell to his knees, still clutching the beer bottle. After a few moments of wheezing and panting, his shoulders shook as he started to cry. He covered his face with his hand as the tears dripped down his cheeks. "I can't...do anything right...!"

Ronny slowly approached the sobbing Turtle and knelt down to his level, soothingly rubbing his hand over his shell. "Hey, come on, Raph," he whispered. "Why don't you put the bottle down? It won't do you any good. Look what's it's doing to you now."

Raph dropped the bottle and allowed the human to help him to his feet.

"That's it," Ronny patted his shell and guided him to the door. "Come on. Let's get you sobered up before you hurt yourself."

* * *

Raph gulped down the rest of his coffee and ate another piece of his Mexican pizza. Ronny soon came back to give him a refill.

"You feeling better?" Ronny asked as he poured him another cup of coffee.

Raph shrugged. "A little."

Ronny nodded and took a seat at the table. "I never took you as the drinking type."

"This is my first time, actually," Raph croaked, rubbing his forehead as he felt another headache coming on.

"I haven't had a drink in twenty-five years," the cook said in a soft tone. "Like you, I once turned to alcohol to numb the pain. It ended up ruining my life."

"Twenty-five years?" Raph looked over at him. "Wait. You said you lost your daughter twenty-five years ago."

Ronny closed his eyes and somberly nodded his head. "That's right. See, shortly after she was born, I got laid off from my previous job. I was a scared young man with a wife and kid to take care of, and I didn't know what to do. Except drink. So one night, I came home drunk as a skunk. My wife was asleep in our bedroom and our baby started crying. I walked into her room and tried to calm her down. But she wouldn't stop crying, and that was making me mad."

Raph had a dreadful feeling that he knew where this was going. "So...what happened?"

Ronny sighed shakily and covered his face with his hand. "In a druken rage, I started to shake her, really hard, yelling at her to shut up. At some point I hit her head against the bars of her crib. Next thing I know, there's blood coming out of her nose and she's dead in my arms." He removed his hand, revealing his tear-stained cheeks. "I killed my own baby."

At that moment, Raph felt so much pity for the Hispanic cook, as well as shame over turning to alcohol and acting like a total baby. He reached over and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Ron, I'm...I'm so sorry. I feel like a complete jackass right now."

Ronny gave him a pained smile. "No, man. We all sink to that level at some point, no matter how strong we or anyone else may think we are. I'm just glad I found you before you did do something stupid. I know things may seem bad now, but as long as you trust and rely on your loved ones, you'll get through this."

Raph smiled and nodded, giving him a squeeze on the shoulder. "Thanks, man. I feel even more better now."

* * *

"You got fired?!" April's mouth dropped wide open at the shocking news that Donnie was giving her. She had invited her old friend over for some coffee and tiramisu, and they along with Casey sat at the kitchen table together, discussing the events that took place the other night.

The genius Turtle sighed and nodded. "Yep. But hey, I have a feeling they were planning on firing me anyway. I've been behind schedule lately due to the loss of my arm."

Casey looked up from his newspaper and rolled his eyes. "We keep telling you, man. You need to make another arm."

"He's right, Donnie," April gently told him. "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Donnie nodded, looking down at his metal shoulder pad. "After what happened last night, I can't argue with that." His eyes trailed over to April's growing womb and he smiled. "I still can't believe you decided to name your new baby Mikey."

April smiled and caressed her enlarged belly. "It's an honor to name him after the bravest, kindest Turtle I ever met."

Donnie did a pouting face. "Oh, and _I_ wasn't?"

April giggled and shook her head. "Well, you were-"

"The dorkiest Turtle she ever met," Casey joked, which earned him a glare from the mutant. "Kidding!" he laughed.

April sighed sadly, remembering another old friend of hers. "I can't believe Leo's in jail. What do you think will happen to him?"

"They'll either lock him up for good or..." Donnie bit his lower lip and glanced away. "...or they'll execute him. I wouldn't be surprised if the court votes on the latter. I really hope that they don't, though."

* * *

"We may have lost over 200 prisoners," the warden walked through the now empty halls with two guards. He lit another cigarette and took a puff. "But at least we finally got the Serpent. And besides, this facility will be full again within a couple of days or even less."

They approached the cell where Leo was being contained. The Turtle was strapped to a built-in metal chair. His head was bowed, but the warden could still see the bruises on his face. All of his gear and his mask had been stripped from him.

"Dang," the warden chuckled. "The Ninja Turtle really did a number on him, didn't he? Go ahead and unlock the door."

One of the guards opened the door for him and he slowly walked over to the bound Turtle. Never before had the warden felt so powerful. The once most feared vigilante in all of New York was now at _his_ mercy.

"Well, well, well," he said with a sadist smile, the cigarette in his hand still lit. "The great and powerful Serpent in _my_ prison. Though I doubt that it will be for long."

The Turtle remained silent with his head bowed, refusing to look up at him.

After taking one last puff, he cruelly pressed the burning cigarette against the Turtle's left cheek. Leo hissed in pain and instantly turned his cheek away, but the warden gripped his chin and forced him to turn his head as he continued to torture him. The two guards nervously backed away from the cell, which the warden noticed.

He scoffed and shook his head. "What are you two afraid of? He's not going to do anything. Here, look." He then slapped Leo hard on the back of his head. The guards jumped, expecting the Serpent to lash out.

But the Turtle did nothing nor say anything.

"See?" the warden laughed. "He's completely helpless and broken. He isn't a threat anymore." He then left the cell and continued down the hall, the guards following close behind him.

As Leo sat there in that chair all alone, a single tear escaped from his closed swollen eye.

* * *

"Welcome, K'Vathrack!" The Shredder greeted the Salamandrian bounty hunter as he stepped into the main room of the warehouse. Behind the black and orange alien lizard was a blue female who hung her head and had her hands clasped together in a submissive manner. The Shredder instantly recognized her as the pupil of the late Salamandrian commander G'Throkka.

K'Vathrack approached the Clan leader and shook his hand. "It's been some time, old friend. Love the new look, by the way."

The Shredder looked over his shoulder directly at the female Salamandrian. "So I take it that this fine-looking thing is Y'Gythgba?"

K'Vathrack glanced back at her and chuckled. "Heh heh, yeah. You know, if you want, you can borrow her for a while."

Y'Gythgba visibly tensed at the offer, closing her large golden eyes.

The Shredder laughed and nudged the Salamandrian in the arm. "No thank you. You know that it wouldn't be possible anyway due to my anatomy."

K'Vathrack shrugged. "Suit yourself. Anyway, I understand that you want two certain Turtles to be destroyed."

"Just one, actually."

"Just one?!" the Salamandrian incredulously questioned. "But you said-!"

"Let me explain, K'Vathrack," the Shredder calmly said with his hand raised. "Yes, I indeed wanted you to exterminate both Leonardo and Raphael. But things have changed. Leonardo has recently been incarcerated, so he's no longer a threat to the Foot. But Raphael still is, so you need to destroy just him."

"Hmmmm..." K'Vathrack rubbed his chin in thought. "How about I just go ahead and kill them both? You know, for the thrill of it?"

The Shredder chuckled darkly and nodded. "Sure, why not?"

K'Vathrack laughed and clapped his hands. "Excellent! When shall I begin?!"

The Shredder's red glowing eyes narrowed as he spoke in a low, chilling voice, "Immediately. Oh! But there's one thing I need you to do first."

"Anything. You name it."

"There is a young girl named Shadow Jones. I have reason to believe that she possess a great power that could be used for the benefit of the Foot. Find her and bring her to me unharmed. I'll give you the address to the Jones household."

From behind a hazardous waste container, a lone Foot ninja secretly listened in on their conversation. "Shadow...!" he whispered.

* * *

"I should be heading back home," Donnie gave April a quick hug before he headed for the front door. "Gaia's been worried about me ever since she found out that I got fired."

April patted her friend's shell, giving him a warm smile. "You'll get through this, Donnie. I know you will."

Donnie smiled back and reached for the knob...

 _KA-BOOM!_

The door suddently exploded and Donnie was sent flying across the living room, crashing into the table.

"DONNIE!" April screamed, instantly running to the Turtle's side.

Donnie groaned in pain as he slowly sat up with April's help. "I'm fine, April. Don't worry."

"WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?!" Casey screamed as he ran downstairs and into the living room. He gasped when he saw Donnie lying on their smashed table. "HON?! D?! YOU OKAY?!" He ran to his friend and wife's side, checking them both over.

"We're okay, honey," April calmly told him.

"You won't be for long," a sinister voice said.

They all turned their heads to the smoking front door, and stepping into the living room was their old foe, Newtralizer. He looked exactly the same as he did thirty years ago.

"Newtralizer?!" Donnie couldn't believe his eyes.

Casey protective wrapped his arms around his wife. "What do you want?!" he demanded.

Newtralizer smirked, showing his jagged sharp teeth. "I've come for your daughter, Shadow Jones."

April's blue eyes widened in horror. "Shadow...?!"

"That's right. Master Shredder has plans for her. He believes she'll be a great asset to the Foot."

Immediately Casey got up and reached for his old hockey stick that he had placed on a mantle on the wall. He gripped it tightly and bravely faced the mutant. "No way you're taking my daughter, freak," he growled.

He charged at the alien and swung his hockey stick with full force, but the moment it hit Newtralizer's large chest, it snapped right in half. Casey stumbled back a bit, looking at his broken weapon stunned. Newtralizer smirked before he effortlessly knocked the human aside, sending him crashing into a bookcase. The furniture fell right on top of him, pinning him to the floor.

"CASEY!" April screamed.

Donnie growled and reached for the bo staff strapped behind his shell. "You'll pay for that!" He leapt at Newtralizer and tried to fight him with just one arm, which unfortunately made his moves clumsy. The alien lizard easily defeated him with just one swipe of his tail and the Turtle was smashed into the wall, creating a large hole.

With both men dispatched, the bounty hunter turned his attention on the woman. He noticed that she was pregnant, which made her the perfect hostage. Smiling devilishly, he stomped over to her and grabbed her by the arm, roughly pulling her to her feet. Although April wanted to fight back, she didn't want to risk the safety of her unborn son and had no choice but to allow him to drag her to the door.

Donnie slowly crawled out of the hole in the wall, greatly weakened by Newtralizer's blow. He noticed the Salamandrian dragging April outside and tired to jump out but instead slumped to the floor. "A-April..." He reached out to her, cursing himself for being so useless.

Newtralizer briefly stopped to look back at the Turtle. "Bring Shadow Jones and Raphael to the _Hecto Company_ factory by midnight..." He lifted April's arm a bit and glared at him. "...or your lady friend here dies."

He then blasted off into the night sky with his jet pack, taking April with him.

* * *

Chompy snored loudly as he slept on the living room floor with Shadow curled up next to him, taking a nap. Raph walked into the room and smiled fondly at the two. He approached them and knelt down to gently rub his hand over the dome of Shadow's head.

"Awwww, look at you guys."

Raph turned to see Mikey standing behind him, smiling widely at the scene before him. "You've got quite the family, Raph."

Raph only looked away shamefully. "Yeah, well, I still couldn't bring Leo back into the family."

He felt Mikey's warm hand on his shoulder. "There's still hope, dude. He's still breathing, isn't he?"

The Ninja Turtle sighed heavily. He really wished that he was as optimistic as Mikey was. "I don't know for how much longer, though. They might give him the death penalty."

"Maybe, but knowing you, you wouldn't allow that to happen. I still have faith in you, bro. Sensei does, too." Mikey gave him a comforting squeeze. "You can still save him." His spirit then disappeared out of the room, but the warm from his touch was still there.

Raph closed his eye and smiled to himself. Mikey always did know how to cheer him up. Just then the T-phone in his belt started to ring, waking both Shadow and Chompy up with a startle.

"Huhwhazzat?!" Shadow shouted, eyes wide open. She blinked a few times before she remembered where she was and she let out a yawn. "Oh, sorry, Uncle Raph. I dozed off."

Raph chuckled as he pulled out his phone. "It's okay, kid." He put the phone to his ear and answered. "Hello? Donnie? Hey, whoa, calm down. What's the problem?" His green eye widened with horror as he listened. "Say _what_? Are you serious? O-Okay. We're on our way."

Shadow watched him hang the phone up with grim look on his face. "Uncle Raph? What is it?"

He slowly turned his head to look at her. "The Shredder's taken your Mom hostage."

 **Oh, no! April! 80**

 **By the way, yes, the alternate timeline in the beginning was the future from the apocalyptic arc (which still sucks). They may be getting a certain young blonde visitor soon...**


	26. Captured

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"I'LL KILL THEM FOR TAKING HER!" Casey roared as he pounded his fist on the table, which he instantly regretted. He hissed in pain as he gripped his throbbing shoulder. His whole body ached from the bookcase falling on top of him earlier.

"Jones, take it easy," Donnie scolded him, feeling pretty sore himself.

Raph, Shadow, and Karai arrived there shortly after Donnie called them. Shadow looked around at the devastation that Newtralizer had caused. She was worried sick about her mother.

"Why did they take her?" she whispered as she picked up a cracked frame that contained a photo of April and Casey at their wedding. She fondly rubbed her thumb over her mother's face.

"He said they want both you and Raph," Donnie explained. "If you're not there at their hideout by midnight, they're going to kill her."

Raph growled and pounded his fist into his palm, beyond furious. "They'll pay for this. I swear it."

"Well, I won't let you guys face the Shredder alone," Karai sternly said. "I'll go with you."

"So will I!" Casey declared, winching as he got out of his chair. "I'll kick their teeth in for kidnapping my wife!"

Donnie shook his head, looking over his friend's injuries. "Casey, you're in no shape to-"

"I'm fine, D!" Casey snapped. "Nothing is keeping me from saving my wife, not even a few broken bones! Of which I don't have any, by the way," he quickly added.

"Well, then I'm going, too," Donnie touched his metal shoulder pad. "But first things first, if I'm going to be of any use to the team, I might as well build myself another arm."

"If we're gonna face the Shredder, we're gonna need all the help we can get," Raph declared. "Karai, contact the Mutanimals. It's time we put an end to the Foot once and for all."

* * *

April squinted her eyes as a bright light shined over her face.

She tried to move her hands to cover her face, but her wrists, as well as her ankles, had been strapped to a cold metal table. She also had this overwhelming headache, like someone had hit her with a baseball bat.

She lifted her head as much as she could and looked at her surroundings. She seemed to be in a lab of some sort, with blinking computers, gadgets and large glass tubes filled with bubbling purple liquids. Some of the gadgets looked awfully familiar, almost like Kraang technology...

A cold metal hand gripped her shoulder from behind and she jumped with a yelp. Looming over her was a man wearing a kabuto, and he stared down at her with red glowing eyes, which made her heart chill.

"April O'Neil," he spoke in a deep, mechanical voice. "We finally meet."

April's blue eyes trembled with fear as she stared up at him. "Are you...the new Shredder?"

He nodded. "I am. I suppose you're wondering why I brought you here to my domain?"

The fear that April felt was quickly replaced with anger as she remembered the reason why Newtralizer kidnapped her. "I already know," she glared at him. "You want my daughter, right? Well, Raph and the others won't let you have her."

The Shredder chuckled. "They can try to stop me, but they will not succeed."

"What do you want with Shadow?!" April demanded.

"I know about your family's history with the Kraang, O'Neil," he explained as he menacingly circled the table with his hands behind his back. "Because of their experiments, you were born half-human and half-Kraang, thus you inherited extraordinary mental abilities that no ordinary human ever could."

"And you think my daughter has inherited those powers, too?" April concluded.

"Precisely."

"Well, you thought wrong!" April shouted, pulling at her straps. "Shadow is a normal teenage girl! I raised her for fifteen years, and I never once saw any indication that she was special like me! So just leave her and the rest of my family alone!"

"Really? Well, if what you're saying is true, then perhaps she hasn't awakened her true, inner self yet. With a few tests and a little bit...persuasion, we could help her discover the powers that are hidden within in her. She could be of great use to me and the Foot."

"If you think that Shadow will willingly join you," she coldly said, "then you're crazy. My daughter would never join forces with someone like you."

"You're right," Shredder pointed his gauntlet at April's pregnant belly, "but she will if the lives of both you and the baby are on the line. I'm sure she'll do anything to protect her family."

April watched in fear as he barely tapped her stomach with the tips of his blades. Feeling her protective instincts kicking in, April imagined herself propelling the Shredder backward across the room. But nothing happened, no matter how hard she concentrated.

Shredder noticed this and laughed, pulling his blades away. "It is no use, O'Neil. Your powers won't work on me...because you don't have _any_ powers. Not anymore."

April's heart skipped a beat. "What...?" she whispered.

He reached for a mirror on a nearby tray and held it in front of her. "Here. See for yourself."

She looked into her reflection, and she gasped in horror as she realized that all of her red hear had been completely shaved off, leaving her with a bald head. There was a large U-shaped incision on the left side of her scalp. "No...!" They couldn't have...!

"That's right," Shredder said with a cruel chuckle. "I had my best scientist perform neurological surgery on you. They removed the parts of you that were Kraang. Now you're just like everyone else: weak and useless."

Tears welled up in April's eyes as she continued to stare at her scar. "No..." she whispered.

"Now let us hope that your daughter will be proven to be more useful than you are. Otherwise, all _three_ of you will be disposed of." The Shredder then threw the mirror down on the tile floor, shattering the glass. He stepped on the shards as he walked out of the lab, and as soon as the automatic doors slid shut, April laid her head back down on the table and began to weep.

* * *

After quickly making some preparations and forming a strategy, the group arrived at front entrance to the _Hecto Company_ factory about thirty minutes before midnight, where the Shredder waited for them. And they had an unexpected guest with them.

 _ **"Daddy!"**_ Metalhead continued to hug Donnie's waist tightly, much to the Turtle's annoyance.

"Metalhead, enough," Donnie grumbled as he tried to pry the robot off with now both arms.

"Okay, why'd you bring _him_ with us?" Raph grumbled, pointing at Metalhead.

"He won't leave me alone!" Donnie defended. "He followed me all the way from my lab! He's totally convinced that I'm his Dad. He even called Gaia 'Mommy'."

Karai stifled back a laugh. "I don't know, I think it's pretty cute that he thinks your his parent."

"Hey," Casey snapped, "can we just focus on rescuing April?" He gripped his new hockey stick so tight that his knuckles turned white. He had been on edge ever since Newtralizer took his pregnant wife, and he was ready to bust some heads open.

And so was Shadow. She cracked her knuckles as she faced the entrance doors. "I hear you, Dad. Those Foot punks are so dead when I get my hands on them."

"Hold your horses, you two," Raph told them. "We can't barge in there like a bunch of angry fools. We need to be a stealthy and quiet as we can be. Who knows how many guards are in there waiting for us?"

Donnie knelt down to fully face Metalhead. "Okay, Metalhead, you stay out here and stand guard." When the robot merely tilted his head and chirped, he tried a different approach. "Um, Daddy wants you to be a good boy and stay outside." He put a finger to his lips, which Metalhead mimicked. "And be very quiet. Okay?"

Metalhead eagerly nodded and chirped happily.

"Good boy," Donnie patted the top of his head before turning to the others. "You guys ready?"

Raph nodded and walked toward the entrance. "Let's do this."

* * *

To their surprise, no Foot ninjas were patrolling the halls, which was very suspicious. Then again, the Shredder invited them and expected their arrival. But they were still on their guard and prepared themselves for anything.

They eventually reached the main room, and it seemed completely deserted, but Raph, Donnie, and Karai, being experienced ninjas, could sense Foot ninjas watching them from behind every corner and in the shadows. The siblings looked at one another and nodded before drawing their weapons out. Shadow quickly drew her bokken out, too, and stood close to Raph.

Raph took a step forward. "SHREDDER!" he roared. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

On cue, metallic footsteps echoed in the room, and the group looked up to see the Shredder, himself, standing on a high balcony, looking down at them with glowing red eyes. Behind him were Tatsu and a large man heavily disguised in a space armor suit. Several large tubes filled with yellowish liquid stuck out of his back and both of his arms. Donnie couldn't understand why, but felt as though he had met the disguised stranger before.

"So you came after all," Shredder said. "And you brought Shadow Jones with you as demanded. Or do you prefer to be called, 'Akari', my dear?"

Shadow's green eyes widened in shock. "You...know about...?"

"I saw you unmask yourself while you were protecting your mother from Timothy," Shredder said.

"Timothy?" Donnie stepped forward, intrigued and hopeful. "You mean, he's still alive?"

Shredder turned to the armored man behind him, who then stepped forward and pressed a button on his chest plate. The plate hissed as it suddenly opened up, revealing a tank containing a creature that was composed of nothing but human organs.

Donnie couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Timothy?!"

Timothy's appearance had changed dramatically. The eye that he lost was replaced with a robotic one, and his heart and lungs had machine parts attached to them. Like Donatello, he was a cyborg.

"Timothy, what...?" Donnie looked up at his friend in complete shock. "What you doing here? Why are you with the Shredder?"

Timothy's eyes narrowed as he glared down hatefully at the Turtle. " **Shredder...my friend,** " he spoke through the new sound box, but his voice sounded like scratchy and more clear. It was deeper and more menacing even. " **Shredder saved me...after Turtles betrayed me.** "

Donnie felt those words stab him right through his heart. "Timothy," he began softly, "I know I betrayed you, but-"

"Enough," Shredder crudely interrupted. "Back to business. K'Vathrak?"

Stepping from behind a pallet of crates, Newtralizer dragged April, who was covered with a white sheet, and appeared before the group. As soon as Casey saw his wife, he wanted to run to her but was held back by Raph and Donnie.

"APRIL!" Casey shouted. "HONEY, ARE OKAY?! ANSWER ME!"

Slowly lifting her head, April looked at Casey with tear-filled blue eyes. Although her entire body was covered with the sheet, he could still see her face. She looked terrible, as though she had been through hell. "Casey..." she whimpered.

Fearing for her mother and infuriated at her apparent mistreatment, Shadow glared up at Shredder. "What did you do to my Mom?!"

"Calm yourself, Shadow Jones," Shredder said. "Your mother was not harmed during her stay here. But we did make a few...adjustments to her."

At the snap of his fingers, Newtralizer pulled the sheet away from April's face, reavealing her bald head and the incision scar on her left scalp. The group was absolutely stunned and horrified, especially Shadow and Casey.

"Now's she just a normal human," Shredder declared.

Now furious beyond reasoning, Casey broke out of Raph and Donnie's grip and roared as he charged at the Salamandrian. Raph followed after him, wanting to make the alien pay for hurting his friend. As they both viciously attacked them, Newtralizer let go of April and backed away, giving Shadow the opportunity to go check on her mother.

Meanwhile, Karai changed into her serpent form and leapt at the Shredder, but Tatsu moved in to protect his master and kicked her away. She landed back on the ground along with her former Sensei, hissing at him.

Shredder turned to Mutagen Man. "Now is the time for you to prove your worth, Timothy. Kill the other Turtle."

Mutagen Man let out a frightening roar and jumped off the balcony, landing with a thunderous thud. Donnie backed away as the half-robot, half-mutant stomped toward him.

"Timothy, please," Donnie begged his friend. "I don't want to fight you."

But Timothy ignored his pleas and charged right at him with a raised fist.

"Mom! You okay?!" Shadow placed her hands the sides on her mother's face and looked into her blue eyes.

With shaky hands, April carcassed her daughter's cheeks, a pained smile on her face. "I'm-I'm okay, sweetie. But you need to get out of here now before he-"

"No," Shadow sternly said as she helped her to her feet. "I'm getting you out of here." But as they headed for the exit doors, several Foot ninjas blocked their path.

"Darn it, MOVE!" Shadow pulled out her bokken and began to attack them. But as she tried to fight them off one by one, more and more Foot ninjas moved in and ambushed her. Through a gap in the crowd, April could see her daughter being pinned to the floor by a few ninjas.

"Shadow!" April ran to help her but tripped, still weakened from the surgery. Now that her powers had been stripped from her, and since she was pregnant, she could only watch helplessly as her daughter was being overwhelmed by the Foot.

She turned her head and called out to her husband. "CASEY!"

In the middle of the fight, Casey heard his wife's cries and turned to see their daughter being carried away by a group of Foot ninjas. "Shadow!"

Newtralizer used the distraction to knock Casey into crates, greatly injuring him. Wasting no time, Raph threw one of his sai at the alien lizard and the weapon embedded itself deep into his shoulder. As Newtralizer shrieked and gripped his wounded shoulder, Raph darted in a straight beeline after the Foot ninjas that had Shadow.

"Hold on, kid! I'm-!"

Suddenly a flash of orange electricity zapped in front of him and he felt a fist collide with his cheek. He fell to ground and looked up to see Newtralizer standing over him, pulling the sai out of his shoulder.

"You're going to pay for that," he hissed, before grabbed Raph's ankle and tossed him across the room.

The Turtle smashed into a wall with great force, nearly cracking his skull. His ears started to ring and his head felt dizzy. Through his blurry vision, he could see Newtralizer approach him. The Salamandrian raised his fist in the air, preparing to deliver the final blow.

"NOOOOOO!"

At that moment, he felt someone land right on top of him. Warm arms wrapped themselves around his neck and a snout was gently touching his cheek. He turned his head slightly and his eye was met with a pair of large golden ones. Even though he was very dizzy and his vision was blurry, he instantly recognized the person who held him.

"Mo...na?" he rasped. Was this a dream?

"Move, Y'Gythgba," Newtralizer growled.

The female Salamandrian tightened her hold on Raph and shook her head. "No! I won't let you kill him!"

Newtralizer narrowed his large eyes and his hands began to glow with orange electricity. "Then you can die along with him."

"That's enough!" Shredder's voice boomed, catching the alien's attention. The Foot leader jumped off the balcony and approached him.

"But," Newtralizer began to protest, "he's still alive! Why can't-?!"

"I want him to suffer before he dies," Shredder calmly said, placing a metallic hand on Newtralizer's good shoulder. "And you are a professional at torturing, are you not?"

The frown on Newtralizer's face slowly lifted into a sadistic smile and he nodded. "Yeah, I am."

As Serpent Karai continued to snap and bite at Tatsu, who was too quick and swift for her, the Shredder called out to his right-hand man.

"Tatsu, finish her off."

The blind man nodded and reached for pressure point on Karai's neck just as she came at him. He pinched it and she immediately dropped to the ground unconscious.

Donnie grunted as Mutagen Man grabbed him by the neck with his massive robot hand and pushed him against the wall, both crushing and choking the life out of him.

"T-Timothy..." Donnie gasped, slowly losing consciousness. "Please..."

As Mutagen Man continued to choke him, Shredder stopped him by touching his arm. "That's enough, Timothy. I have what I want. You can kill him next time."

Groaning, Timothy reluctantly dropped the weakened Turtle.

"Get those two out of here," Shredder ordered Timothy and Tatsu, who dragged Donnie and Karai out of the room and into the halls.

"Karai, Donnie...!" April watched helplessly as they were dragged away.

"Lock O'Neil and Jones up," Shredder ordered his Foot ninjas. He then walked over to Raph, who continued to lay on the ground with Mona Lisa holding him protectively. Newtralizer grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away as the Shredder knelt down and roughly grabbed Raph's chin.

"By the time we're finished with you," he hissed, "you're going to wish you were dead."

 **Oh no! Raph and Shadow have been captured! What now?!**


	27. The Test

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _"...nie! Donnie! Honey, please wake up!"_

Said Turtle slowly opened his eyelids and saw his beloved Gaia kneeling over him, his head resting in her lap. "Gaia...?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Gaia leaned down to rest her soft forehead against his and caressed his cheek. "Thank goodness you're okay, honey."

He groggily looked around and saw Karai sitting up and holding her neck, wincing as she rubbed it. She noticed Donnie stirring and immediately crawled over to him. "Donnie, are you all right?"

"Not really," Donnie muttered, his plastron and neck still hurting from Timothy's assault. Then he suddenly remembered the reason they infiltrated Shredder's headquarters and sat up. "April! Did we save her?!"

He noticed that they were now in the middle of the junkyard, with mountains of garbage surrounding them.

"Uh...how'd we end up in the junkyard?"

"This is where I found you and Karai," Gaia explained. "I sensed you were in trouble and went out to find you. Your brainwaves were weak but I was able to pick them up here. By the time I found you, you were buried under a pile of garbage and Metalhead was trying to dig you out."

"Metalhead? Where is he?"

"He's over there," Gaia pointed to the left and Donnie turned to see the robot kicking a soda can, chirping happily as he played. "The poor thing was worried sick about you."

Donnie noticed that there was no one else around. "Wait, where are the others?"

Both Gaia and Karai looked at each other and frowned. Donnie instantly got a dreadful feeling. "Don't tell me...Raph, Shadow, Casey...April..."

"The last thing I remember is Tatsu hitting a pressure point on my neck," Karai rubbed her neck again. "I think you and I are the only ones who made it out."

"No..." Donnie looked into the distance, fearing for his friends and his brother.

* * *

"HEYYYY! LET ME OUTTA HERE!"

Shadow continued to bang on the glass of her cell. She cursed under her breath and banged on it one more time before slumping to the floor and hugging her knees close to her chest, feeling helpless and frustrated about not being able to help her parents and uncle.

She recalled what Shredder told as she was being dragged away.

 _"You will soon be put to the test, Shadow Jones. Pray that you will pass, for your sake as well as your family's."_

What was this test he was talking about? And what would happen if she failed?

"Shadow?"

The teen jumped and turned to see a Foot ninja standing in front of the glass. She glared at him and gave him the middle finger.

He weakly chuckled. "Yep. Still a badass even in jail."

She raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

The ninja let out a sad sigh and reached for his mask. "Shadow, I'm so sorry." He removed it, revealing his face to her. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

Shadow's green eyes widened and she gasped. " _Danny?!_ " She instantly stood up and fully faced her ex-boyfriend, pressing her hands against the glass. "Danny, what...what are you doing here?!"

He looked at her sad blue eyes before hanging his head. "I work here," he softly said.

"You work...wait...you mean you're one of the Foot?"

He gave her the slightest of nods, before jumping when she slapping her hand against the glass.

"Danny..." her green eyes brimmed with tears, "you work for _him_?"

He bit his lower lip and avoided her gaze as much as he could. He had never felt so disgusted with himself.

His silence began to anger her and she clenched her hand into a fist. "You work for that monster? You let him do that to my mother?" She began to raise her voice. "You just stood there and watched them pick at her brain?!"

This time Danny looked straight into her eyes. "No, Shadow, I-"

"HE _MUTILATED_ HER, DANNY!" Shadow screamed, angry tears now running down her cheeks. "HE HURT MY MOTHER! AND YOU HELPED HIM! I HATE YOU! **I HATE YOU, YOU LYING SON OF A-!** "

She shut her eyes tight and started to sob. She turned away and walked to a corner, sitting down with her back to him. She continued to cry as she hugged her legs and buried her face in her knees.

"Shadow," she heard him say, but she ignored him, so he tried again. "Shadow, listen, I...I know you can't forgive me, and that's fine. But I swear, I had no idea what they were doing to your Mom."

She turned her head and glared at him, tear stains on her cheeks. "Oh, yeah? Well, if you had known, would you have tried to stop them?"

Danny hesitated in answering that. "I...look, even if I wanted to help, I couldn't because...you don't know who you're dealing with, Shadow. Nothing can stop him."

Shadow scoffed. "And you think that stops me and Raph from trying anyway? God, I...I can't even _look_ at you anymore." She turned her back to him again.

Danny sighed heavily and leaned against the glass, slumping down to the floor. "I don't blame you," he whispered.

They both sat in silence for a while, their backs to each other, never saying one word. Then Shadow spoke in a pained whisper.

"Why, Danny? Why them?"

The boy sighed again and lead his head back against the glass, looking up numbly at the ceiling. "I don't know. I just...I just felt like I belonged with them, you know? Like they were my family."

"Family?" Shadow snorted. "Bullsh**."

"Just listen, okay?" he gently implored her. "After my Mom left, I felt so alone. And my Dad, being the hotshot that he is, he never had time for me. I couldn't even relate to him anymore. Then I meet these guys. Most of them were just like me: lonely kids with singe parents who barely even noticed them. Of course, there was a catch. I had to swear my allegiance to the Shredder and do whatever he commanded, even if it meant breaking the law."

"And you joined them anyway."

"I couldn't just walk away, Shadow. By then, I already knew too much. If I said no, he would've killed me. I had no choice but to join the Foot."

Shadow merely huffed and shook her head in disbelief. He wasn't gaining her sympathy. "And so all those times we spent together...you were just spying on me? Gaining as much information as you can about me?"

"Shredder wanted me to keep an eye on you," Danny admitted. "He knew you had something to do with Rick's death. You know, the guy that jumped off the building about a year ago."

She shuddered at the memory. How could she forget _that_?

"Then word got out that the Ninja Turtle had gotten himself a sidekick," he continued. "I really hoped that it wasn't you. Then one night...after we robbed the Lincoln Bank, I saw you without your disguise."

This revelation surprised Shadow and she finally turned her head to look at him. "What?"

He turned his head, too, and looked at her sadly. "I was the guy who tasered you. You were out cold and I removed your mask."

She indeed remembered that night. It was supposed to be their date night, then he all of sudden cancelled it. A few hours later, she and Raph stopped a group of Foot ninjas from robbing the newly opened Lincoln Bank. She chased down a lone Foot ninja and he knocked her out with a taser. She later woke up behind a bunch of trash cans. "So..." Shadow turned around and slowly approached the glass. "so you were the one who...? But...why didn't you turn me in?"

He gave her a pained smile and stood up as they faced each other. He pressed a hand to the glass and looked into her eyes longingly. "Because I love you, Shadow. I know that's hard to believe, but I do love you."

Her heart began to race and her cheeks turned pink. He loved her?

"That's why I couldn't rat you out," he softly said. "That's why I...broke up with you."

So that was the reason he distanced himself from her. It was all to protect her. She looked at his hand on the glass and before she even knew what she was doing, she slowly reached for it. She was about to press her hand against his when the image of her mother with her bald head and incision scar appeared in her mind. The tired, defeated look in her mother's eyes haunted her.

She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, pulling her hand away. "Do you really love me, Danny?"

"Of course I do," he told her in a gentle voice.

Shadow opened her eyes and looked straight into his. "Then you'll get me out of here."

He visibly tensed and backed away a bit. "I...I don't know if...if I can. I mean, I don't even know the code to the lock on the door."

"Then figure it out," Shadow sternly said. "If you truly care about me, then you'll help me."

Danny was hesitant at first, but the longer he looked her beautiful green eyes, the more the fear he felt for the Shredder and the Foot began to slip away. He knew the consequences of his betrayal would be, but he soon realized that he would do anything for this beautiful girl. Even if she never returned his affections or forgave him, he would still risk his life for her, because she was the amazing person he ever met.

He finally nodded. "Okay, I'll figure something out. Just hang in there, okay?"

Shadow nodded back and smiled. "Thanks, Danny."

He gave her one last longing look before walking down the halls. As soon as he was completely out of sight, he leaned against the wall and buried his face in his hands.

 _I'm so dead._

* * *

As he lay on his cot, Raph stared up at the stained ceiling, trying to think of a way to escape and rescue his friends. He kept wondering what the Shredder had in store for Shadow. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.

"Hey!"

He heard someone bang against the bars of his cell and he quickly sat up to see Newtralizer standing there with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. The sight of him infuriated the Turtle and he growled as he jumped off his bed and instinctively reached for his sai. But he quickly realized that his weapons had been confiscated.

Newtralizer chuckled cruelly as he unlocked the door. "You know, I consider myself a fair Salamandrian. Since your time is close at hand, I'm going to grant you one last moment with the love of your life."

He stepped aside to reveal a completely bare Mona Lisa, who shivered from the cold as she attempted to cover herself as much as possible. Raph's eye widened at the sight of the woman he loved.

"Mona Lisa...!" he breathed.

Newtralizer opened the door and grabbed her by the arm, roughly pushing her into the cell. She stumbled and fell to the ground, and Raph instantly ran to her side.

"Have fun with her while you still can," the bounty hunter chuckled as he closed and locked the door.

Raph glared up at him hatefully, fury burning through his veins. "How dare you...!" he hissed. "I'm not some kind of wild animal!"

Newtralizer continued to laugh as he walked away, and Raph ran to the bars and pounded on them with his fist.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SCUM!" he roared. "YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL _KILL_ YOU!"

The anger in his quickly dissipated when he heard Mona whimper, and he ran back to her. "Mona," he spoke to her in a soft voice as he cupped her cheek.

She slowly lifted her head and her golden eyes shined with tears. "Raphael..." she whispered in a pained tone as she reached up to touch his cheek. "I've missed you so much. You have no idea...!"

He noticed that she was shivering and tore the blanket off his cot, covering her with it. As he did, he noticed the bite marks that covered her body. He began to fear the worst. "Mona," he whispered, "what did he do to you?"

At this question, she looked down at the floor in shame, remaining silent.

"Mona," he tried again, gently touching a mark on her neck, "did he do this to you?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and began to sob, pulling away from his touch.

Raph instantly felt his heart shatter into millions of pieces. The thought of his beloved warrior woman being abused by that monster absolutely broke him and his eye began to well up with tears. "Oh, Mona..." He started to wrap his arms around her in a comforting hug.

"NO!" she yelled, pushing him away. "Don't...!"

"Mona..." Raph began, the hurt evident in his voice.

She shook her head, still unable to look at him in the eye. "No. Please don't. I don't...I don't deserve...!" She didn't deserve him. First she betrayed him, then she allowed the traitor Salamandrian to use her body for his own pleasure.

"Mona, it's okay," he gently told her. "Look at me."

She again shook her head. "I can't..." she choked.

"Okay, you don't have to look at me. But will you please talk to me?" He touched her shoulder with one hand while soothingly rubbing her arm with the other. "Please tell me what happened?"

Mona took a few deep, shaky breaths before she finally found the courage to look directly at his face and speak to him. "Everything was destroyed...my home, my people, my friends. K'Vathrak, the one you call Newtralizer, he helped Dregg conquer Salamandria." She hung her head and whispered, "I was the only one survived. Besides him, I am the last of my people."

Raph couldn't believe it. She was the last Salamandrian alive? He continued to rub her arm in comfort. "Oh, Mona, I'm...I'm so sorry."

Tears slid down her cheeks and he gently wiped them away with his thumb. But again she pulled away. "He then took my prisoner. Made me his own personal slave...and toy." She broke down again and hid her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Raphael! You must think I'm weak...disgraceful! I'm no longer the warrior I used to be...the one you fell in love with."

She felt him pull her hands away from her face and cup her cheek, forcing her to look at him. There wasn't any disgust or anger on his face. Just love. He smiled sadly as he reached behind his head to untie his mask.

"That's okay," he softly told her. "'Cause neither am I."

His red tattered mask fell to the floor, and she was absolutely horrified by the ugly laceration that ran straight down the left side of his face and over his eye. He then proceeded to removing the wrapping tape from both his arms, revealing even more scars.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I did all this to myself?" he chuckled bitterly. "After Mikey died, I blamed myself for his death and in a moment of weakness, I mutilated myself." He held his arms out to her, palms up. "So you and I _both_ broken."

Her heart broke for him and she gently touched the scars on his arms, and then the scar covering his eye. She knew that his body wasn't the only thing that was scarred.

The Turtle leaned in close to her touch and reached to grip her hand. "What happened to you wasn't your fault, Mona. I still think you're the most amazing woman ever."

Mona bit her lower lip and shook her head. "You don't want me, Raphael. Not after he-"

She was cut off when Raph all of a sudden pressed his beak against her snout, affectionately nuzzling her like how they used to. She wanted to pull away, but she found herself unable to. All she could do was kneel and allow him to love her, even though she didn't deserve it.

He pulled away and smiled lovingly at her. "I still want you, Mona. I'll _always_ want you." He then leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers.

Feeling him kiss her gave Mona a warm feeling that melted her heart and she closed her eyes as she kissed him back. Even after thirty years of being separated from each other, their love for each other was still firm and strong. Stronger even.

* * *

It had been an over an hour since Danny left. At least that's what it felt like.

Shadow sighed and punched the glass wall in frustration. So he chickened out in the end. Why did she ever think that she could trust him?

She then heard metallic footsteps walking down the halls and turned around. The Shredder and two Foot ninjas approaching her cell. The leader punched in the code to unlock the doors and stepped in. Shadow backed away as he came forward.

"S-Stay away from me!" she warned.

"It is test to you to the test, Shadow Jones," he told her before he gestured for the Foot ninjas to move in.

"No, stop it!" Shadow protested as they grabbed her and started to drag her out of the cell. "LEAVE ME ALONE! STOP IT!"

* * *

For the longest time, Raph and Mona just sat on the cot together, holding each other for as long as they could before the Foot would come for them.

"They'll be coming for you soon," Mona whispered to him, hugging him even tighter and burying her face in his neck.

"I know," Raph said as he rubbed her back. "But we'll figure something out."

"I don't want to lose you, Raphael."

"You won't. There's no way I'll let those guys kill me."

When he heard someone approaching his cell, Raph instantly backed Mona against the wall and sat protectively in front of her. He was expecting either Newtralizer or the Shredder, but a lone Foot ninja stepped in front of the cell and just stared at Raph for a moment...before he unlocked the door and opened it.

"You need to hurry," the ninja told him. "Shadow's in danger."

"What...?" Raph stared him confused.

The ninja unmasked himself and Raph immediately recognized him from the pictures on Shadow's phone. "You...aren't you Shadow's ex-boyfriend? Danny, was it?"

Danny nodded. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. You've got to save her and her family."

Raph looked at him suspiciously as he slowly stood up. "You know, you're risking a lot in helping me, kid."

"I know that," Danny said, not a trace of fear in his eyes or voice. "But she means more to me than my own life."

Raph smirked, impressed by the boy's courage and dedication to Shadow. "You ain't half bad, Pennyworth."

"Um, it's Pennington, actually."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Raph then turned to Mona and helped her off the cot, wrapping the blanket around her once again. "Mona, listen carefully. I want you to get out of here now."

"No," she immediately refused. "I won't leave you here to face them alone."

"I have to save my friends," he calmly told her. "And I can't let Newtralizer hurt you again. Please do this for me."

"Raphael-"

He kissed her again passionately and cupped her cheek. "Please, Mona," he gently urged her. "I want to make sure that _you're_ safe at least."

Finally, with great reluctance, she nodded. "Alright. But promise me that you will come back."

Raph smiled warmly at her. "I will." He gave her one last kiss before he turned back to Danny. "Hey, kid, can I count on you to get her to safety?'

"Yeah," Danny said. "I know every secret exit in this place."

"Good," Raph gently pushed Mona toward the boy. "Take care of her." He started to dash down the halls when Danny stopped him.

"Hey! Wait!" He pulled Raph's twin sai from out his back pockets and tossed them to the Turtle. "You're gonna need these."

Raph caught them and nodded gratefully to him before continuing down his path again. He hoped that he wasn't too late.

 _Hold on, Shadow, April, Casey. I'm coming._

* * *

"I MEAN IT! LET ME GO!"

Shadow continued to struggle as the Foot ninja dragged her to the main room, and to her shock and horror, her parents were chained to chairs. Hanging above their heads was a pallet of concrete blocks, which was being held by a crane. Tatsu, the Shredder's right-hand man, stood next to the weight-lifting machine, a kunai in his hand. What the heck was going on?!

"Mom! Dad!"

"Shadow!" April cried, greatly relieved to see that her daughter was unharmed.

"Let her go, Buckethead!" Casey yelled angrily to the Shredder, who walked up behind the teen.

As soon as the Foot ninjas let go of her, Shadow started to run to her parents, but the Shredder grabbed her by the hoodie of her jacket. "Not so fast," he said. She tried to pry him off but he tightened his grip. "In just a few moments, I will order Tatsu to cut the lines that hold the concrete blocks. The weight of them all will crush and kill your parents instantly."

"WHAT?! YOU SON OF A-!" Shadow turned around and tried to punch him, but he caught her fist and twisted her wrist, making her yell in pain. As she gripped her wrist and hissed in pain, he grabbed a handful of her blonde hair and forced her to look up at him.

"If you truly wish to save them," Shredder looked down at her with cruel red eyes, "then you must use your telekinetic powers to stop the blocks from falling onto them."

"My...what?" She didn't know if she heard him right. Telekinetic powers?

"I have reason to believe that you have inherited your mother's mutant genes, and if so, then you possess the same unique abilities that she did."

Shadow's face became pale. "But...I don't have any powers! I swear!"

"If that is true, then your parents will surely perish. Their fate rests in your hands. Now, I will count to ten, and once I have finished, Tatsu will cut the line and the blocks will be released."

Oh, god. This couldn't be happening. "W-Wait! You-You can't be-!"

"One..." he began to count.

Shadow began to hyperventilate and looked over at her parents and the blocks that hung over their heads. Did she even have powers and just never knew it? If so, how could she awaken them and save her parents in time?

"...two..."

She let out a whimper and tears began to form in her eyes. Maybe if she concentrated hard enough...

"...three..."

She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind of everything else, focusing only on the blocks. Was that how it worked?

"...four..."

She began to pound the sides of her head. God, she wished he would shut up and let her focus!

"...five..."

"Shadow!"

The girl opened her eyes at the sound of her mother's voice. April had a sad yet calm look on her face, as though she was ready to accept her fate.

"Honey, it's okay," she softly told her daughter with a sad smile.

"...six..."

"Whatever happens, remember, this wasn't your fault."

The tears were now flowing freely down Shadow's face. Yes, it was all her fault. If she hadn't have been so stupid and chased down that Foot ninja that one night, they wouldn't even be in this mess. Now her parents and her little brother were going to die because of _her_ mistakes.

"...seven..."

She looked at her Dad, who looked just as calm as April was. He smiled and nodded to her. "Your Mom's right, kiddo."

"...eight..."

"Just remember that we love you. Very much."

Now Shadow was sobbing openly. "Daddy..." She hadn't called him that since she was six.

"...nine..."

She swiftly turned around and looked up at Shredder with pleading eyes. "PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!" she screamed desperately.

"...ten."

As soon as he finished counting, Tatsu threw his kunai at the line and cut it. In what felt like slow motion, the blocks dropped down upon her parents.

 **" _NOOOOOOOOO!_ "**

 **...hey, don't look at me like that. I like cliffhangers, okay?**

 **Disclaimer: Gaia is BrightLotusMoon's character.**


	28. A Terrible Loss

**You guys will probably kill me after this chapter is over...**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 ** _"NOOOOOOOO!"_**

A flash of red and green pushed April and Casey out of the way in time, just seconds before the blocks crushed them.

To Shadow's tremendous relief and the Shredder's utter shock, Raphael unchained his friends from the chairs, before he stood up and glared murderously at the Foot leader. "You're gonna pay for that," he growled.

"How did you get out?" the Shredder hissed.

His response was the Turtle charging at him with his sai drawn out, letting out a war cry as he did. But a flash of orange lightning flashed right in front of him and he was punched in the gut. He grunted as he fell to the floor, and Newtralizer kicked him in the face before he had the chance to get up.

"Where is she?!" the bounty hunter demanded. "Where's Y'Gythgba?!"

Raph spat out blood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You'll never see her again, you slime," he sternly said. And in a split second, he slashed the Salamandrian's left knee with his sai. Newtralizer squealed and held his bleeding knee, and Raph used the opportunity to kick him to the ground.

Shadow noticed that the Shredder was distracted at the moment and immediately ran to her parents, who wrapped their arms around her in a tight hug. She started to sob uncontrollably, overwhelmed with relief and shock. If Raph hadn't have been there to push them out of the way...!

"Shh," April comforted her by soothingly rubbing her back. "Sweetie, it's okay."

"I...I almost lost you guys...!" Shadow continued to sob, burying her wet face in her Dad's shirt. "Oh, god...I...!"

"Well, don't worry," Casey whispered to her as he stroked her blonde hair. "We're still here, kiddo."

"K'Vathrak! Kill the Turtle!" Shredder shouted as the Salamandrian forced himself back on his feet, his knees still bleeding from Raph's counterattack.

The alien snarled and orange electricity started to spark out from his hands as he faced the Turtle, who had a smug look on his face. "With pleasure," he muttered.

The two reptiles roared in unison as they charged at each other.

* * *

"Hold on," Danny whispered as he and Mona neared an exit. "We're almost out."

The female Salamandrian kept looking back, worried sick about her beloved Raphael. She wanted more than anything to turn back and help him save the others, but she knew that she would only get in his way. After all, she wasn't the strong warrior that she was thirty years ago. But it amazed her that despite being so weak and pathetic, Raphael still loved her and wanted to be with her, even with the knowledge that she had been used by K'Vathrak for so many years.

Danny was about to push the door when it was slammed open from the outside. Both he and Mona yelled in surprise and stumbled backwards as a very large dark figure stomped inside. As it walked under the ceiling lights, it revealed itself to be a huge teal-colored mutant turtle.

"Huh? Who are you?" he said in a gruff voice as he looked at the two.

"Slash, what is it?"

A smaller, lanky cyborg Turtle stepped out from behind the massive turtle and his auburn eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Mona. He never once noticed her being here during his battle with Timothy hours earlier. "Mona Lisa...?"

"Donatello?" Mona gasped. She was relieved to see that Raphael's brother was all right even after he had taken that vicious beating from Mutagen Man.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he walked over to her and was surprised to see that she was wearing nothing but a white sheet. He also noticed that there were several bite marks on her neck and shoulder blades. Good Lord, was she...?

"I...I can't explain it now," Mona glanced behind her, gesturing to the other side of the building. "But your brother needs you."

"Raph? What's going on in there?"

"He's facing the Foot on his own. You have to help him! He'll be killed!"

* * *

Raph grunted as his shell collided with the wall, and not even two seconds later he had to dodge another lightning attack, which barely missed him by a few inches.

Newtralizer attacked him with all his might, fueled by the rage he felt after having his woman stolen from him and being humiliated by the Turtle. The Shredder and his men watched the battle afar off. While the leader looked on impassively, several Foot ninjas started placing bets on which one would win.

The Jones' also watched on, and Shadow was itching to get in there and help her Sensei. She couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

"Dad," she turned to Casey, "you get Mom out of here while I go help Raph."

"What?" Casey's eyebrows pulled together and he was about to say no, but April beat him to it.

"No!" April said sternly, grabbing Shadow's arm. "You are _not_ staying here! You're coming with us!"

Shadow tried to pull her arm away. "But-!"

"NO! I won't lose you! I can't!" Tears started to drip from out of April's eyes. "I can't, sweetie. Please...!"

Shadow's heart broke for her mother. She knew that she was still traumatized by the brain surgery that she had been forced to go through, and just minutes ago she and her husband were almost crushed to death by a bunch of blocks. And to top it all off, she was pregnant. Shadow couldn't blame her for being so emotionally unstable and overprotective.

But still...

She looked back at Raph, who was barely dodging Newtralizer's electric attacks.

Raph was starting to lose breath and his strength was quickly leaving him. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up, and he already saw Newtralizer completely evaporate a metal chair with just one hit of this mysterious new power. If he were to get hit-

Newtralizer suddenly teleported in front of him and knocked him on the side of the head with his elbow. As Raph stumbled backward from the impact, Newtralizer teleported again and hit him from behind. In every direction he went, the alien would appear and hit him, and Raph felt like the metal ball in a pinball machine.

Eventually Newtralizer delivered one final powerful kick in the gut that sent him flying across the room, and the Turtle landed roughly on his shell. Raph coughed and groaned as he sat up and held his stomach. He could've sworn that he heard his plastron crack as it was met with Newtralizer's foot.

After hearing Newtralizer chuckle darkly, he looked up and saw the alien fire another electric blast directly at him. He didn't have the time nor the strength to move.

He watched helplessly as the orange light got closer, feeling its heat...

 _"UNCLE RAPH!"_

To his shock and horror, Shadow jumped in front of him and protected him from the blast. Before he could scream her name, the electricity hit her right in the chest and she let out a soft gasp as her body began to glow orange and flicker.

April began to scream. Casey's eyes widened in horror. Newtralizer's jaw dropped. Even the Shredder's red glowing eyes enlarged.

It was like watching Mikey die all over again.

Desperately, Raph reached out to her as she fell backwards...

...but her body completely disappeared before he could catch her. In his hands was nothing but air.

Raph forgot how to breathe and he was frozen stiff, just kneeling there and looking at his empty hands.

She was gone.

Shadow was gone.

 _"SHADOW!"_ A hysterical April was being held back by Casey as she screamed and sobbed. "MY BABY! MY BABY!" She clawed at Casey's arms and struggled to get out of his grasp. But Casey remained firm and tried to calm his wife down for the sake of their unborn baby, even though he, himself, wanted to completely break down as well.

"YOU _IMBECILE_!" the Shredder roared, glaring at Newtralizer. "I wanted her _alive_!"

Newtralizer turned to face him. "It-It wasn't my fault!" he defended. "She was the one who jumped in front of him and-and-!"

 ** _"RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"_**

An inhuman roar caught his attention and he looked back to see Raph leaping at him with his sai, his right eye white with rage. As he turned around, the sai stabbed deep into his chest and he let out a strangled gasp.

They both fell to the floor and Raph proceeded to stab at his chest continuously with both sai. Blood splattered everywhere as the Turtle viciously attacked him, some of it landing on his face and plastron. Even after the Salamandrian's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he let out one last raspy breath, Raph still continued to stab his corpse in fury.

He finally stopped and slowly stood up, panting and glaring straight at the Shredder. Snarling, he pointed a bloody sai at him. "You're next...!" he growled, the blood splatters on his face making him look even more frightening.

But as Tatsu moved in to defend his master, Shredder held up his hand to stop him. "No, Tatsu," he calmly said, never taking his eyes off Raph. "This one is mine." He activated the blades in his gauntlet and they extended out. He gestured for the Turtle to come at him, which he did.

Raph moved with such an incredible speed and agility as he attacked the Shredder, the fatigue and pain from earlier having been replaced with a fiery rage that gave him strength. But the Shredder kept blocking and dodging every blow with such ease it was unbelievable. Raph already knew that he wasn't dealing with a human being here. Was he truly a demon like he once proclaimed himself to be?

It didn't matter, though. All that mattered was that Shadow was dead, and he was going to make this monster pay for it, even if it killed him!

Casey watched as his best friend attack the Shredder with everything he had, silently rooting for the Turtle while holding his distraught wife. He wanted more than anything to join in on the action and avenge his daughter's death. He wanted to tear that shredhead apart with his bare hands. But right now April needed him the most, so he could only stand by and watch.

Then all of a sudden the Shredder grabbed Raph's arm and stabbed the Turtle's side three times in a row with his long blades. Raph's cries of pain mixed in with the sickening sound of the blades piercing right through his ribs.

"RAPH!" Casey screamed. "NO!"

Dropping to his knees and coughing out blood, Raph gripped his bleeding side with his other hand. The Shredder, still had a hold of his right arm, prepared to deliver the final blow and raised his gauntlet.

Something big and massive smashed through the wall, and as the dust cleared away, the Foot ninjas cowered away from the huge mutant turtle that had a mace in its hand.

Slash's light green eyes widened at the sight of the bleeding Raphael, before they turned white as he roared ferociously at the Shredder. He charged at the Foot leader with his mace raised over his head. But just as he swung his weapon at him, the Shredder leaped over him. But Slash continued to chase after him, eager to crush him for hurting his friend.

Soon Donnie, Karai, and the rest of the Mutanimals appeared through the hole in the wall. The genius Turtle saw his brother lying in a pool of blood and instantly ran to his brother's side.

"Oh, my god! RAPH!" He knelt down and inspected the wound that was gushing. Raph was losing so much blood all at once.

Karai changed into her serpent form and kept Tatsu distracted while the Mutanimals took on the army of Foot ninjas.

Slash continued to swing his mace madly at the Shredder, until finally the Foot leader took one big leap toward him and slashed him on the shoulder. The large turtle howled in pain and gripped his shoulder.

"ALL FOOT NINJAS!" Shredder yelled, gesturing to the nearest exit. "FALL BACK!" Now that the Ninja Turtles had reinforcements and Shadow Jones had been destroyed, it was time to relocate. His plans for the future had been halted...for now.

Immediately the Foot ninjas headed for the exit, leaving the wounded behind, with Tatsu and Shredder being the last two to leave. The Foot leader paused to briefly glared back at Raphael, who was being cradled by Donnie.

"This isn't over, Raphael," he coldly said before he and Tatsu dashed out of the building.

Karai changed back into her human form and ran to Casey and April. "Are you two alright?"

Casey opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out and he could only stared at her with sad wet eyes, while April continued to sob into his chest.

Karai noticed that Shadow was nowhere in sight. "Where's Shadow?" she asked them.

The tears were now sliding down Casey's cheeks and he pulled his wife closer to him, burying his face in her shoulder as he started to sob with her. Karai instantly got a bad feeling. A _very_ bad feeling.

"Raph!" Donnie shook his brother again, keeping him from losing consciousness. "Hang in there! Don't go to sleep! Come on! RAPH!"

But as the blood continued to gush out of his wound, Raph was becoming more and more tired, struggling to keep his eyelid open. As he finally drifted into a world of darkness, he whispered one word, a single tear escaping his eye before he closed it.

 _"Shadow..."_

* * *

For one moment, she was staring up at the factory's ceiling lights. The next thing she knew, she was looking directly at the sun and had to shield her eyes.

"Ugh...what happened?"

She clenched her first as she slowly sat up and was surprised to feel...sand?

Looking around her, she soon realized that she was no longer in the Shredder's factory, but was now sitting in the middle of a desert wasteland.

"What the h..." Shadow whispered as she stood up on her feet. "Whew!" She wiped her forehead, which was quickly starting to sweat from the unbearable heat. About a few feet from her, the skeleton of a strange looking creature was being picked at by a hungry crow.

"Holy crap," Shadow whimpered, feeling very afraid all of a sudden. "Where am I?"

 **So Shadow is not dead, but was instead teleported to a strange new world. Do NOT ask me how that's possible, 'cause even I don't know that. :/**

 **Brownie points for those who can guess where she is now! :D**


	29. The Last Pure Human

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 ** _Thanksgiving, 12 years ago..._**

 _"Aw, look at her! She's so precious!"_

 _Three-year-old Shadow hid behind her mother's skirt as the strange man knelt down and spread his arms out, gesturing for her to come and give him a hug._

 _"It's okay, Pumpkin!" he said with a warm smile. "I'm your Grandpa Sal!"_

 _The shy little girl stood where she was, staring at him with large green eyes. Her mother gently patted the top of her head, and she looked up at her._

 _"Go on, sweetie," April softly told her. "Go give your grandpa a hug."_

 _Shadow let go of her mother's skirt and cautiously approached the old man. He wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug and picked her up. He smelled funny, like a gas station, and his teeth were yellow and crooked. But his brown eyes were so full of kindness that she instantly felt safe around him. The corners of her mouth slowly lifted into a smile._

 _"That a smile I see?" he chuckled, gently poking her cheek and making her giggle. "She looks so much like you, April. Well, her face, I mean."_

 _"I know," April said, looking at her daughter fondly. "She's the splitting image of my mother."_

 _As he studied Shadow's facial features, Sal frowned as he noticed something unusual. "Huh, but I don't see any resemblance to Casey. Or anybody from my side of the family."_

 _April tensed up, and she was about to speak when Casey's sister, Sarah, walked into the kitchen and playfully slapped her on the shoulder._

 _"Hey, April!" she said with a wide smile. "Your Dad just pulled into the driveway!"_

 _"Oh, good! He's back with the turkey!" April hurried out of the kitchen and to the front door. After she left, Sarah walked over to her father and glared at him with her arms crossed._

 _"Dad," she whispered harshly to him. "I already told you before, Shadow is...you know, A-D-O-P-T-E-D."_

 _Sal raised an eyebrow, not getting it at first. "She's what? Oh! Oh, right! Sorry."_

 _Being too young to spell or understand, Shadow just sucked on her thumb and instead focused her attention on the blue dragonfly that rested on the window sill outside, before it flapped its wings and zoomed away._

* * *

 _ **Present...**_

Was this hell? 'Cause it was pretty f**king hot.

Shadow panted as she dragged herself across the seemingly never-ending desert, having already taken her hoodie jacket off under the pressure of the overbearing heat. Her white tank top was soaked in sweat, and she felt like a dried sponge.

 _If I don't find water soon...I'll pass out..._

She could sense the condors flying over her head in circles, waiting patiently...

She passed by another weird skeleton and greeted it with a nod. "Hey, how's it going?" Yes, she had been talking to skeletons for nearly an hour, probably because her brain was frying under the sun. Or maybe just because she was incredibly lonely. Either way, she was slowly losing her mind.

 _I miss Mom and Dad...Uncle Raph...they probably think I'm dead...I just might be...man, it is_ so _hot..._

She stopped for a moment to lean on her knees, drops of sweat falling off her forehead and onto the dry ground. The sun continued to beat down on her back. It was becoming even more difficult to stay awake. She could hear the roaring of engines.

Wait. Engines?

She looked up and saw a group of oncoming vehicles in the distance. So there _was_ life out here! She was saved!

Laughing joyously, she started to run toward them and waved her arms around, trying to get their attention. "HEY! HEY! HELP!"

As they got closer, she could see that the vehicles were huge rusty tanks, with spiked wheels and...oh, god, were those human _skulls_ on their front bumpers? The closest one came to a screeching halt and Shadow had to quickly jump out of the way before it would hit her. A creepy-looking red fish with long sharp teeth was painted on the side door, which creaked as it slowly lifted up. The inside of the vehicle was dark, but she could make out large shadowy figures.

"Hey!" Shadow ran up to them, a wide smile on her face. "Thank God you're here! Listen I'm lost and hot and _seriously_ thirsty! Can you give me a lift to the nearest city and some water please?"

She heard some murmurs before one of the figures, stepped forward and peeked his head outside, revealing himself in the sunlight. The smile on Shadow's face instantly dropped as she came face to face with a scorpion humanoid dressed in leather clothing. His multiple eyes squinted as he smiled mischievously at her with his sharp tiny teeth.

"Sure," he said in a raspy, creepy voice. "We'll give you a lift." The figures behind him chuckled darkly at his remark.

Shadow's gut instincts told her to run, but just as she turned around, the scorpion's clawed hand caught her by the strap of her tank top and pulled her into the tank.

"LET GO OF ME!" she screamed as she struggled. "NO!"

The door slammed down as they started to drive away, with the other tanks following close behind.

* * *

She grunted as she continued to fight the chains that bound her to the chair.

Surrounding her were mutants of all shapes and sizes that were dressed in leather and punk clothing, some of which even wore Mohawks on their heads. Every now and then one of them would approach and study her, as though they've never seen a human girl before.

A large orca mutant with muscular arms and legs and spiked wrist cuffs stomped over to her and licked his jaws, staring at her with hungry red eyes. "I wonder what untainted human meat tastes like?" he growled.

Shadow began to sweat and whimpered. Did he just seriously suggest eating her?

The killer whale turned to his friends and pulled out a knife from one of the patches on his belt. "What do you say, brothers? Should we cut off one of her legs and share it amongst ourselves?"

The other mutants began to drool and eagerly nodded, shouting in agreement. Shadow began to scream and plead and kick wildly as the orca grabbed one of her legs.

But before he could bring the knife down, the side door lifted and a red fish mutant with long skinny arms, fangs and robotic legs was standing outside. The crowd instantly became still and silent as he stepped in. Shadow figured that this was their leader.

The fish stared at the girl with piercing yellow eyes as he approached her. "So," he spoke to his gang in a thick Brazilian accent, "this is the pure human you picked up?"

Pure human? What was he taking about?

"Yeah, boss," the orca said as he stepped away from her, putting his knife back into his patch. "Can we have a taste of her? Just one?"

"No, Killer Orca!" the leader snapped, causing the larger mutant to flinch in fear. "She's much too rare and valuable to be mutilated! Think of the reward we'll get for turning her in to the Emperor unharmed."

"Emperor?" Shadow couldn't help but wonder out loud. The others instantly turned their eyes to her. The weight of their gazes made her really uncomfortable. "W-What? I-I dunno who that is."

"You're kidding, right?" a scraggy-looking grey wolf with spiked shoulder pads scoffed. "The Great Ruler of the world?"

"The God of Destruction?" the scorpion mutant from earlier rasped.

"The Sun King?" Killer Orca growled.

The fish leader leaned in close to her face, and she nearly gagged at his tuna smell. "He was the one who wiped out the entire human race and gave the world to us mutants," he told her in a quiet, cold voice. "You seriously have never heard of him?"

Her green eyes widened. "The...The entire human race?" Did she hear him correctly?

"Yes," he sneered. "Fifty years ago, with the Mutagen Bomb. The humans were either mutated...or they didn't make it. Most of them didn't survive, while the remaining few became the Gum People."

"Gum People?"

"Humans that became greatly disfigured after the bomb hit, giving them a bubblegum-like appearance. Quite the pitiful and hideous bunch."

"But good eating!" a mutant called out from behind the crowd, and the others laughed cruelly and nodded in agreement.

"And for a human to have survived the blast or never been affected by it," the fish painfully grabbed her chin and smiled, "now that would be a miracle. And yet here you are. I don't know how it's possible, but you are perhaps the last living pure human on the planet. You'll make us a fortune."

Shadow stared blankly ahead after he let go of her, still trying to process all of this. Mutagen Bomb? Gum People? Just what was this nightmarish place? Was she somehow teleported to another dimension or something? Or was she just having a bad dream?

The leader turned to his gang and pumped his fists in the air. "Next stop, the Last City!" The mutants cheered and roared in response. He then turned to Killer Orca. "Orca, I'm placing her under your watch. And she'd better still be in one piece by the time we get there," he threatened.

Killer Orca straightened up and puffed out his chest, saluting his leader. "Yes, Captain Fishface."

The fish mutant was about to walk out when he was stopped by Shadow's stifled snickering. He turned around and sure enough, her cheeks were puffed out as she tried to hold in her laughter. "And what is so funny all of a sudden?" he asked.

"I'm-I'm sorry," she giggled. "It's just...your name is 'Fishface'?"

Fishface narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance. He should've known. "Yes," he hissed.

Shadow snickered again, shaking her head in disbelief. "Oh, my god. Are you serious? I-I mean, you couldn't have picked a cooler name like...Killer Piranha or-or Razor Fin?"

Some of the mutants murmured amongst themselves at her question. "Razor Fin does sound pretty cool." "She's got a point." "I like Killer Piranha." Fishface's eye twitched in anger as he listened to them talk behind his back.

"But, hey," Shadow continued, "if you're into bad names, I've got one you'll really like: Fishdick!"

At this the whole gang burst out laughing, except Fishface, of course, who only growled and pulled out his signature butterfly knife. He grabbed her face and pressed the blade against her lips.

"I said I wanted you in one piece," he said with venom in his voice. "But if you could continue to mock me, I will cut out your tongue and feed on it."

Immediately, Shadow pressed her lips together tightly, looking up at him in fear.

Fishface grunted and nodded. "That's what I thought. Let's get going."

* * *

 _ **In the prime timeline...**_

"Good Lord! He's lost so much blood!" Rockwell gasped as he and Donnie continued to operate on Raph back in the lair.

The Shredder had stabbed him in the side three times, piercing right through his ribs. They were trying desperately to save him, but both doctors had the suspicion that the Turtle was bleeding internally, and as Donnie pumped air into his brother's mouth, he was beginning to lose hope. He could hear the beeping of the heart monitor getting slower, indicating that Raph was slipping away.

"Please don't die, Raph," Donnie spoke softly to him, tears building up in his eyes. "Please. Don't leave me alone."

The door to the lab slowly opened, and Gaia peeked her head in. Even in the other room, she could also feel Raph slowly fading, and Donnie looked so lost and disheartened even as he worked vigorously to keep his brother alive.

If only she could help them. If only she could do some-

Wait. That's it.

She pushed the door all the way open and hurried over to the table. She placed her hand on Donnie's shoulder, startling him. He turned to look at her briefly before he focused on saving Raph again.

"Gaia, now is not a good time," he snapped, extremely stressed out at the moment.

She gently gave him a squeeze. "I can save him."

Both mutants turned to look at her, but they didn't stop working.

"You?" Rockwell questioned. "How?"

"Just trust me," she calmly said, mainly to her boyfriend.

Donnie always knew that Gaia was special, but did she really have the power to save Raph? He looked down at his brother, whose face was quickly losing its emerald color. He wasn't having much success, so he had no choice but to step aside and let Gaia stand over Raph.

She caressed his cheek with one hand while pressing the other down on his wound, blood slipping through her fingers. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating. It would take all of her power, and no doubt she'll be experiencing serious seizures after this, but she could do this.

She whispered to him through telepathy, _Raph,_ _if you can hear me, you can't leave us yet. You're needed here._

Energy flowed from her mind and throughout her entire body, and it transferred through her fingertips and into the Raph's own body as she imagined the torn tissues being sewn back together.

Donnie and Rockwell stood by and watched in amazement as Gaia's body began to emit a bright orange color, and her long black hair started to wave up and down on its own. What amazed them even more was that the bleeding stopped and Raph's heartbeat was at the normal rate. The color in his face was slowly returning and he started to breathe on his own.

But as she continued to heal him, Gaia's eyes opened and her body started to twitch and spasm. Donnie instantly knew that she was having a seizure and caught her as she suddently fell backwards.

"Gaia, I'm here," he whispered urgently to her, although he aware that she most likely didn't hear him. "It's okay."

As he held her, Rockwell inspected Raph's wound, which to his suprise had completely closed up. "Astounding," he mumbled to himself before he turned to the couple on the floor. Gaia had already passed out and went slack in Donnie's arms while the Turtle lovingly caressed her cheek. "How is this even possible?" he asked him.

Donnie looked up at him and could only shrug with a crooked smirk.

* * *

"Hey, Serpent!"

A guard hit the bars of Leo's cell with his club, but the Turtle didn't look up. He barely moved anymore, not that he could anyway due to being heavily restrained to a chair. He was so still that one might assume he was a statue.

"You got a visitor," the guard informed him.

At this Leo barely lifted his head and looked up. To his surprise, Karai was standing in front of his cell. Her eyes were full of pity and sadness for the imprisoned Turtle, whose face was still bruised and swollen up from Raph's assault.

She smiled sadly at him and greeted him with a slight nod. "Hey, Leo."

Leo didn't answer or smile back at her. He only bowed his head again and remained silent. Karai's heart instantly broke for her friend and she pulled up a nearby chair that had been generously offered to her and sat down on it.

For a while, they didn't say one word to each other. The murmurs and laughter of the new prisoners echoed in the halls of the facility. Finally, Karai spoke in a pained, soft tone.

"Shadow's dead."

He lifted his head and looked at her surprised. April and Casey's daughter? Dead?

"She was killed by Newtralizer yesterday," she continued.

"Newtralizer?" Leo finally spoke at the mention of their old enemy.

Karai nodded. "But Raph killed him immediately after that. He then tried to take on the Shredder by himself, but...he was gravely injured. We thought we were going to lose him, too. Thankfully Donnie's girlfriend was able to save him. But he still hasn't regained consciousness yet."

She sighed and rubbed her temples. "We're quickly falling apart as a team and as a family, Leo. We can't do this without you."

Leo sighed as well and glared to the side. "So what do you want _me_ to do about it?" he grumbled. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm in jail."

Karai looked around to see if any guards were nearby, before she leaned to whisper to him. "We can bust you out of here."

His blue eyes looked over at her in response.

"It shouldn't be a problem for Donnie and me," she said with a smirk. "And after Raph recovers, we could think of a plan to take down the Foot once and for all."

For a moment, he said nothing, before he chuckled softly and closed his eyes. "And after that, then what? You'll put me back in jail so that I won't kill anymore?"

Karai looked at her friend sadly. She didn't blame him for being so distrusting. "Leo, we won't-"

"I want nothing to do with you or Raph," he coldly stated. "You'll just have to do this without me."

"Leo, please..."

"I don't care anymore. Leave."

She slowly narrowed her eyes in anger, and in a fit of rage, she stood up, picked up her chair and threw it against the bars. "AAARRGH! I can't _believe_ you! First you abandon your family, then you turn your back on us when we need you the most! How could you be so heartless?!"

He glared at her before turning away again, not saying another word.

Infuriated even further by his silence, she was about to yell again when the guard returned, having heard the commotion she caused just now. "I'm sorry, miss," he sternly said with his arms crossed, "but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

Seeing that she wasn't going to convince him, she sighed in defeat and allowed the guard to escort her. She gave the Turtle one last glare as she walked away.

"Thanks for nothing," she bitterly said to him. "Mikey would be so disappointed in you."

"Screw you," she heard him mutter.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. He was completely hopeless.

* * *

 _ **Back in the other timeline...**_

Every time the wheels would run over a large rock or a hole in the ground, the tank would jump up and down, and Shadow was starting to get a little nauseous, both from the heat and the bumpy ride. There was a fan that hung from the ceiling but it didn't help much.

A beeping sound was heard and the driver, a mutant skunk with a white Mohawk, radioed his leader. "Hey, boss! We need to refuel!"

 _Alright,_ Fishface's voice came on the radio. _We'll stop to refill the tanks._

The tank screeched as it came to a halt, and the door lifted as the mutants hopped one by one until only Killer Orca and Shadow were left. The large mutant whale kept a close eye on her as ordered by Fishface, sitting directly across from her.

Shadow huffed and glanced outside, and her eyes instantly widened at the bit of green in the distance. Was that an oasis? Perhaps there was food and drinkable water there. More importantly, maybe there were people who weren't psychotic like Fishdick and his gang and could help her get back home. But first she had to escape.

A couple of mutants passed by the tanks on sweet-looking bikes. She smiled slyly to herself as she got an idea.

Clearing her throat, she turned to Killer Orca. "I gotta pee."

He raised an eye ridge and snorted. "Well, then go ahead."

"What, right now?" she asked incredulously. "In my pants?"

"Yeah, why not? We do it all the time."

Shadow looked at him disgusted. "Oh, god," she mumbled to herself before she spoke louder. "Look, I really don't want to go in my pants. I need a toilet or-or at least let me pee behind a bush."

"Too bad," Orca growled. "I ain't letting ya out of my sight."

Shadow groaned loudly as she leaned backwards in her chair. "Ugh! Fine! You can keep watch while I go! That better?"

He hummed in thought as he rubbed the underside of his chin.

...

He guided her to a dead, dry bush about fifteen feet away from the tanks. Well, it was better than nothing.

"There," he removed her chains and roughly pushed toward the bush. "Now hurry up and go."

She sighed and reached for her pants but froze when he noticed him watching. "Can you turn around while I do this? I can't go if someone's watching."

Orca rolled his eyes and growled in his throat as he turned around, giving her a little privacy. With his back now turned to her, Shadow slowly crept up behind him. She jumped onto his back and reached for a pressure point on his neck, just as Raph taught her months ago.

"WHAT THE-?! WHAT ARE Y-?!" He yelped as she pinched him and immediately he fell to the ground unconscious.

Shadow saw that the other mutants were too busy with the tanks to have noticed her attacking Orca. She took a deep breath before she sprinted toward the parked bikes.

"Hope they have helmets."

...

The whole gang gathered around a cooler and helped themselves to bottles of water.

Fishface filled his breathing tanks with more water and sighed in contentment as his gills opened and closed in the cool liquid. He tossed two water bottles to the skunk driver.

"Here, give Orca and our special guest some water," he ordered.

The skunk headed for their tank and stepped inside. "Here's some nice, cool H20!" But he realized that it was completely empty. Even the human wasn't in her chair.

Alarmed, the skunk ran out of the tank and back to the group. "BOSS! BOSS! The human is gone!"

"WHAT?!" Fishface yelled angrily. 'Where's Orca?! He was supposed to keep an eye on her!"

Just then the engine of a motorcycle roared and they all turned to see a stranger heading toward the oasis on one of their bikes.

"Oh, fu-! SHE'S ESCAPED!" Fishface screamed as he threw an empty water bottle down in fury. "AFTER HER! I WANT HER ALIVE, YOUR HEAR ME?!"

...

She could see the beautiful trees as she got closer. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would burst right through her chest.

She was so close to freedom...!

Just then a blast of purple light nearly hit her and she nearly lost her grip on the handle. Looking behind her through her helmet, she saw five mutants on bikes chasing after her, two of which had strange-looking guns and each time they fired, purple blasts would come out.

"Sh**...!" she cursed under her breath. Could things get any worse?

They pursued and fired at her for nearly five minutes, before a blast finally hit her back tire. The bike spun out of control and she was thrown off. There was the sickening sound of bones cracking as she landed on her left shoulder, and after a rolling in the dirt a bit before coming to a complete stop, she curled up in pain. She couldn't even move her arm.

They circled her on their bikes, laughing and taunting her. "Can't get away from us, kid!" the scorpion mutant shouted.

Shadow whimpered as she gripped her shoulder, feeling very afraid.

 _I wish Uncle Raph was here._

Just then another motorcycle came tearing out of the forest and headed straight for them. The rider, who looked like a large mutant Turtle in a black armored suit, a pair of goggles, and a red leather mask, pulled out a huge gun and fired, the blast destroying the scorpion's bike in a big explosion. The bug mutant crashed to the ground, charred and smoking, but still alive.

"What the-?! Let's get this punk!" The other mutants charged at the stranger, drawing their weapons out.

The skunk had a chain with a spiked metal ball at the end and swung it at the Turtle as he got closer. But the rider dodged the ball and grabbed the chain. He tugged on it and pulled the skunk off his bike. He swung the mutant round and round, using him as a weapon to knock two other mutants, a coyote and a rabbit, off their bikes.

Soon only the grey wolf was left, and he fired his gun at the Turtle multiple times. The purple blasts missed him by mere inches, and he fired his own gun only once, hitting the wolf's bike and completely destroying it.

The Turtle parked his bike in front of Shadow and pointed his gun at the downed mutants. "Get out," he said in a gruff voice.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. That voice sounded familiar...

"This-This ain't over!" the skunk got back on his bike. "We'll be back for that human! We'll be back!" He then sped away and the others quickly followed, with the scorpion riding with the rabbit and the wolf with the coyote.

After they retreated, the large Turtle turned to Shadow, who was still sitting on the ground and gripping her shoulder. He took his goggles off, revealing his emerald green eyes. "Did I hear him right?" he asked her. "You're a human?"

Those green eyes...it couldn't be...!

"Uncle Raph?" Shadow said softly.

The Turtle looked at her surprised. "What did you call me?"

With her good arm, she removed her helmet and revealed her face to him. "Uncle Raph, it's me, Shadow."

Raph couldn't believe it. The golden hair, the green eyes, just like Mikey said. The so-called "angel" from his vision.

But why was she calling him "Uncle"?

* * *

It was the Last City in the world. A metropolitan empire of mutants, both rich and poor. Its magnificent lights were so bright they could be seen from space, and it was roughly the size of Rhode Island.

It was also the home of the Almighty Emperor, the most feared and respected person in the world. Towering golden statues of him were built throughout the city in honor of him, and there were even churches that were dedicated to worshipping him like he was a god.

The image of the Emperor himself was so similar to that of Lady Liberty: his face was hidden by a mask made of gold, his crown had five long spikes, each of which represented a decade of his reign, and his golden robe was made of silk. The only visible parts of his body, his arms and neck, were mechanical.

None of the locals knew exactly where he resided in the city, but there was rumor that he watched over his subjects from the widows of the tallest skyscraper, the Soverign Tower.

And indeed, from the tallest floor in that tower, a crowned figure looked out his window and watched as another boat reached the docks, possibly to deliver fresh human meat, a delicacy that could only be bought in the markets of the Last City.

Someone knocked on his door. "My Lord?" a soft voice called out.

"Enter," the Emperor said in a deep mechanical voice, still facing the window.

A mutant mongoose dressed in golden silk quietly opened the door and stepped in with a bow. "Almighty Emperor, forgive my intrusion, but we've just received word that a pure human has been found in the wastelands."

At this, the Emperor turned his head to look at his servant. "Alive?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Who found it?"

"A gang who call themselves the Hooks. Their leader's name is..." The mongoose couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "...Fishface."

The Emperor, however, did not find it humorous. "Fishface, huh?" he calmly said. "Tell him that if he and his group deliver the human to me alive and unharmed, I will reward them handsomely for it. In the amount of $1 million."

The mongoose bowed and quickly left the room, softly closing the door behind him. The Emperor turned back to the window, staring at the horizon in thought.

"A pure human...is it possible?"

 **Needless to say that I was inspired by Guardians of the Galaxy to poke fun at Fishface's name. :)**

 **Again, Gaia is the property of BrightLotusMoon, not mine.**


	30. The Sweet Kiss Of Death

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _"Casey, isn't she beautiful?"_ _April stroked the infant's soft hair, watching her sleep with loving eyes. She slowly rocked back and forth in her chair, cooing to her little one._

 _"Yeah, she is," Casey smiled fondly at the scene before him. Of course the two naturally bonded, and April was simply an amazing mother. He only hoped that he would find end up being an okay Dad for his new baby girl and raise her right. This whole parenting thing was new to him, and his own folks weren't exactly role models._

 _April slowly got out of the chair and walked over to her husband. "Here," she carefully handed the baby to him. "Hold her."_

 _He hesitated as he held his hands out. This would be the first time he ever held a baby. He never even held his sister after she was born. Very carefully April placed their daughter in his hands and he held her close to him._

 _A warm feeling filled his chest as he looked down at that sweet little face. So this is what being a father feels like. Amazing._

 _Just then the baby opened her eyes, which were as green as emeralds, and they looked straight into his brown ones. For the longest time, they just stared at each other, before Casey finally spoke in a quiet, soft voice, "Hey there, sweetie. I'm your Daddy."_

 _In response, she reached up to touch his face with her tiny hand, studying him as she cooed curiously. Then the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile for the first time._

 _Casey laughed as tears welled up in his eyes, an indescribable joy overwhelming his heart. This was his daughter, no doubt about it. Although they weren't related by blood, they were connected in a very special way._

 _After all, blood doesn't make a family, love does. And he loved her with all his heart._

 _"So what are we gonna name her?" Casey asked April._

 _"Well, I have been thinking about naming her either Rebecca or Lucy," she said._

 _"Rebecca?" he snorted. "Lucy? Really, Red? She doesn't look like a Rececca or a Lucy."_

 _"Well, then, what do_ you _think would be a good name?"_

 _As he thought about it, he noticed the baby looking at something on the wall behind him. He turned and saw that there was nothing on the wall but just his shadow. Then he got an idea and handed her back to April._

 _With his hands, he formed shadow puppets on the wall, first a bunny, then a bird, and then a cat. The baby squealed in delight and tried reaching out to the puppets with her hands. Both of her adoptive parents laughed at this._

 _At that moment, Casey knew what to name their new daughter. "I've got it. Shadow. Shadow Jones."_

 _April frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Shadow? That's an usual name for a girl, don't you think?"_

 _Casey shrugged with a smile. "Yeah, but, we're a pretty usual family, don't you think? Besides, it's a cool name." He walked over to them and leaned in close to the baby's face. "What do you think, sweetie? You like that name? You like being called Shadow?"_

 _She smiled and squealed in response._

 _Casey looked up at April with a smug grin on his face._ _"See? She likes it, too. It's two against one, honey."_

 _April chuckled and rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "Alright. Shadow it is."_

* * *

Casey gently rubbed his thumb over his wife's, watching her sleep with sad eyes.

They were in a hospital room, and April lay in bed with her now bald head wrapped in bandages. Casey sat on a chair next to her bed and watched over her for the past two days. It was a miracle that she didn't suffer a miscarriage after all the trauma she's been though and all the sedatives the doctors had to give her while she was hysterical.

He tenderly kissed her hand and held it close to his cheek. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, both to her and Shadow.

His precious baby.

The image of his daughter disintegrating in a flash of orange light would not leave his mind. It haunted him to the point that he could not sleep in the past two nights. He was worn out both mentally and physically. But April was in even worst shape than he was.

He failed both as a husband and a father.

A nurse quietly walked into the room. "Excuse me, Mr. Jones," she whispered to him. "I'm sorry, you have to step outside for a moment. Hourly check-up."

He nodded and leaned over to kiss April on the cheek before he walked out of the room, leaving her alone with the nurse. He turned to his left and was met with a rather unpleasant surprise.

Danny Pennington was standing in the hallway with a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. He was just as surprised to see Casey and gave him a small, nervous smile.

"Um, hi, Mr. Jones," he softly said.

Casey wasn't too fond of Danny, considering that he broke Shadow's heart months ago, and furthermore, it was revealed that he was secretly working for the Foot Clan all this time. And to think that he gave the kid the benefit of a doubt with he and Shadow started dating.

He only greeted Danny with a glare and the slightest of nods.

Danny sensed the tension and it made him even more nervous. "I, uh..." He cleared his throat and gave the flowers to Casey. "These are for Mrs. Jones."

Casey took them and placed them on a nearby table. "Thanks," he muttered.

"S-So..." Danny awkwardly cupped his arm, "how is she?"

"Not so good," Casey replied rather crossly. "Neither of us are."

Danny lowered his eyes to the floor in shame. "Right."

"So did you tell your Dad about you and the Foot?" Casey asked.

"Yeah," Danny said with a sigh.

"And how'd he take it?"

"Well, I'm pretty much grounded until I die." He chuckled weakly. "I have a feeling that he's seriously thinking about disowning me. Can't say I blame him, though."

 _Yeah, me neither,_ Casey thought bitterly to himself.

"Listen," Danny finally found the courage to look up at him, "I...I know that you resent me for hurting Shadow and for-for my involvement with the Foot. And I know that I'm not...exactly welcomed here."

Casey made a grunting noise and nodded his head, crossing his arms. "So why _are_ you here?"

Danny closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I just wanted to tell you that, I never meant for anything of this to happen. Your wife being kidnapped and tortured and then Shadow..." He clenched his eyelids and bit his lower lip, not being able to finish the sentence. He took a few deep, shaky breaths before he continued. "See, my Dad and I don't exactly have a great relationship. The kids in the Foot were like me, alone and unwanted, so I felt like I belonged there. But I never once enjoyed the crime sprees that we went on. I really didn't want to, but it was part of the job. Then the Shredder sent me to spy on Shadow."

"And that's why you took a sudden interest in her?" Casey asked, still glaring at him.

Danny nodded. "Yeah. You know, most of the kids at school told me that she was this crazy short-tempered girl who thought that she was better than everyone else since her mom was kind of a celebrity. But once I got up close and really got to know her, it was clear that everything they said about her was wrong." He smiled sadly to himself as he thought about the girl he fell in love with. "She was an amazing person, the most amazing person I ever met. Headstrong, always fighting back and doing the right thing, even if the whole world was against her, and she inspired me to do the same. You already know this, of course, being her Dad."

His blue eyes finally opened, revealing unshed tears. "I know we only dated for four days, and this will probably sound stupid to you, but in that short time that we were together, I felt like...we really understood each other, like I've always known her. Like there was this connection between us, and we were meant to be. Shadow didn't deserve to die the way she did, and I feel like...like a huge part of me died with her. And..." He choked up as the tears were now spilling down his cheeks. "And _I'm_ the one who should've been obliterated by that freak, not her...!" He covered his face with his arm as he cried.

Casey's face slowly softened as he listen to Danny's speech and he was touched by it. The kid certainly had guts coming here and apologizing directly to him and April, especially after everything that has happened. He could really tell that Danny truly cared about Shadow and never meant to hurt her. He also remembered what Shadow told him about Danny while they were dating, about him being lonely due to his Dad always being too busy to spend time with him. It was no wonder that the kid turned to the Foot.

He walked over to Danny and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Listen, uh, I was about to head down to the cafeteria for some breakfast," he softly said with a smile. "Care to join me?"

Danny smiled tearfully. "S-Sure," he sniffled.

* * *

"I should never have hired that fool," the Shredder huffed as he looked out the window of his new office, which overlooked the entire city. Since Donnie and the Mutanimals infiltrated the _Hecto Company_ factory and caused significant damage and loss of Foot soldiers, Shredder was forced to move his headquarters into the now abandoned TCRI building.

"And now because of him," he growled, "I must find another suitable brain, which is nearly impossible to find. I regret ever operating on O'Neil."

"Do not forget, Master," Tatsu stood next to him, "that O'Neil is pregnant with her second child."

"Yes," the Shredder said, "but there is no telling if the child will gifted with the same mental energy as well. And besides, I would have to wait at least another twelve years when it has matured enough, and I don't intend on delaying my plans any longer. We will move on to the next phase as soon as possible." He turned to Tatsu, who couldn't see but could feel his gaze. "Do I make myself clear, Tatsu?"

Tatsu nodded and bowed to his master. "Yes, Master."

"Good," Shredder turned his attention back to the window. "You are dismissed."

But Tatsu did not leave just yet. "Master, forgive me, but...you do remember our bargain?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yes, of course. I haven't forgotten. In exchange for your services to me, you will be granted full protection. If my plan succeeds, you will be the only human to have survived, and the throne of the Foot clan will bestowed upon you." If he had a mouth, he would've been smiling cruelly at the thought of all of humanity being wiped out. "You have my word."

* * *

It was dark and cold, nothing but pitch blackness. Raph was floating on water, which felt ice-cold and caused him to shiver. His shaky breaths came out as puffs of smoke.

He didn't know where he was. The last thing he remembered was being stabbed by the Shredder a few times in the side and passing out in Donnie's arms. Was this the afterlife, or the realm in between life and death?

As he continued to float, he kept thinking about Shadow and how she was disintegrated by Newtralizer. How she sacrificed herself to save him. Like Mikey, she was taken from this world too soon. How many more people did he have to lose in his life? His heart couldn't take any more devastating losses. Perhaps it would be best if he were to...

 ** _Yes, my child,_** a soft feminine voice echoed in the darkness. ** _Give in to me._**

"...Huh?" Raph looked around him, but he didn't see anyone. "Who's there?"

 _ **You are tired. You want to sleep and never wake up to this cruel world ever again. You want to be free of the pain.**_

"I...yes, but-"

 ** _You can't go on like this anymore. Your heart cannot take it. Even though your wound has been healed, your soul is not ready to return to the world of the living._**

"But...I promised Mikey..."

 _ **He will understand that you have tried, even though it was hopeless from the beginning. You deserve a nice long rest.**_

Then a cloaked figure suddenly appeared over him, and he could see a woman's face under the hood. She was beautiful but sad, with piercing dark eyes. She knelt down and offered her hand to him, which he reluctantly took, and he was lifted out of the waters. Now that he stood before her, she was much taller than he was, yet he didn't feel afraid around her. In fact, her presence gave him...peace.

She reached up to caress his cheek, and her hand felt so cold that he almost flinched away. _**It is time, Raphael.**_

He closed his eye and leaned in to her touch, letting out a soft sigh. He wanted to keep his promise to Mikey, but it was...just too hard. _I'm sorry, Mikey._

Sensing his submission to her, the woman lifted his chin with both hands and leaned down to kiss him...

 _"RAPH!"_

Someone pulled him away right before her lips could touch his, and he was surprised to see his little brother standing next to him. "M-Mikey...?"

"Raph," Mikey's light blue eyes glistened with tears, "you can't give up now. Not when you're so close."

Raph looked at him like he was crazy. "Not when I'm so close? Mikey, how am I any closer to fixing our family? Or _everything_ , for that matter? There's no way Leo will ever forgive me. The Shredder is still on the loose. And Shadow's...Shadow's dead," he choked up at the last part. "All because of me."

Mikey sighed and wrapped his arms around his older brother. "You don't see it now," he softly said, "but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You can't see it because it's far away. But if you stop now, you'll never each it, and you just have to keep going until you do. And I know you can do it, Bro."

Raph really wanted to believe Mikey's words, but...

 _ **The only light that is waiting for him at the end is the light of Paradise,**_ the woman sternly said. **_And I will guide him to it. There is no hope left in the world of the living._**

As she spoke, a small light appeared in the distance. It looked warm and inviting...

"Raph," Mikey tightened his embrace, "don't listen to her. There's always hope. I know it seems dark now, but inside you and everyone else is a light. If you just let it shine, you'll light the path not just for them, but for yourself, too."

In that moment, a tiny light began to flicker in Raph's soul. It was small and weak, but as Mikey continued to speak words of encouragement to him, it slowly became larger and brighter.

"And if your own light goes out," Mikey said, "I'll be there to help you. And so will Donnie and Karai and Shadow, and-"

"Shadow?" Raph pulled away from the hug to look at him.

Mikey smiled widely. "Yep. Shadow's still alive, Bro."

The light within him was now burning so bright that it warmed up his soul and even his eye lit up with its glow. Suddenly it wasn't so dark anymore. Raph smiled and laughed softly, tears of joy starting to build up in his eye. "Shadow...she's alive...!"

Something cold gripped his shoulder. _**There's nothing for you back there but pain and suffering.**_

Raph turned to look back at the woman, and to his shock, all of her beautiful features had melted away, and her face was now a skull. Faint blue lights glowed in her dark sockets, giving her an even more frightening appearance.

 _ **It would better to give up and embrace death,**_ she tried pulling him closer to her.

But Raph slapped her hand away. "No," he sternly said, stepping away from her and closer to Mikey. "It's not my time yet. I still have a promise to keep."

The blue lights in her eyes faded and her entire body disintegrated into black dust, which was swept away by a chilling wind.

Mikey patted Raph's shell and winked at him. "Way to go, Bro. You sure showed her."

"Mikey," Raph turned to him, "you said that Shadow is alive, but where is she?"

But just as Mikey was about to answer him, Raph suddenly dropped into the water and was sucked into the depths...

...

Raph woke up gasping for air, and he was suddenly back in Donnie's lab.

His genius brother, who had fallen asleep at his desk, woke up at the sound of him gasping and lifted his head. His auburn eyes widened at the sight of Raph sitting up on the table before they welled up with tears.

"Raph...!" He ran to the table and embraced his brother, sobbing in his shoulder. "You're awake. I...I thought we lost you for a while."

Raph lifted his arms and wrapped them around Donnie's shell, soothingly rubbing his carapace. "Well, I'm back, Bro. And I'm here to stay." He then realized that his side wasn't hurting anymore and looked down to see that the wound had completely closed up. "How...?"

Donnie pulled away and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. He noticed Raph's surprised look as he looked over his healed wound and smiled. "Gaia saved your life."

Raph looked up at him. "Gaia?"

Donnie nodded. "She used her powers to heal you. It was amazing."

"Where is she?"

"She's passed out on the couch. It took a lot out of her and she even suffered seizures afterwards."

Raph froaned and instantly felt guilty over the fact that she had a seizure after healing him. "Oh, man. Well, let me know as soon as she wakes up so that I could thank her." Then his eye widened as he suddenly remembered something. "Wait! Where's April and Casey?! Are they all right?!"

Donnie's eyes and expression became saddened. "They're both in the hospital. April's...not doing so good. I mean, the baby's fine. But she's incredibly distraught over Shadow's..." He sighed and sat down on the chair next to the table. "Raph, you do remember what happened to Shadow, right?"

Raph nodded and scooted to the edge of the table, his legs and feet hanging down. "Yeah, I do," he softy said.

Donnie closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Raph, I'm...I'm so sorry."

The older Turtle shook his head. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault. Besides, she's not dead."

At this, Donnie looked up at him in surprise. "What?"

Raph smiled at him. "Shadow's not dead. I know for a fact that she isn't. She's out there..." He looked up at the ceiling in thought, wondering where his niece was.

"...somewhere."

 **And we know where she is, don't we? ;)**

 **Next chapter, Shadow explores the Mad Raph world!**


	31. Mad Raph World

**A message to Guest who asked what "Mad Raph" was: Celeste38 was kind enough to explain it in the reviews section. Hopefully her note will help you. :)**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _She slowly tiptoed down the hall, being as stealthy and quiet as she can be. She knew it was past her bedtime, but she just had to try on her mother's pretty new earrings that she bought today._

 _Six-year-old Shadow slowly pushed the door to her parents' bedroom open, and she knew that nobody was in here since her Mom and Dad were both downstairs in the living room watching T.V._

 _She walked over to the makeup table and climbed onto the cushion chair. She opened the top drawer which contained all of her mother's jewelry, and inside was the pair of dragonfly earrings._

 _The body of each dragonfly was made of turquoise, and its silver wings were lined with sparkling diamonds. And according to what her Mom told her, they were pretty expensive and easy to break, so she had to be extra careful, which was why she wasn't allowed to play with them._

 _Of course she couldn't actually wear them, as it meant sticking the needle right through the earlobe, which she could never do. But she did love holding them to her ears and pretending to wear them as she looked in the mirror. She smiled as she looked at her reflection. Those dragonflies looked so pretty on her. Maybe one day when she's older..._

 _"...can't handle this anymore."_

 _That sounded like Mom, and she was...crying?_

 _"Every day I have to stand in front of a camera and report another murder committed by the Serpent. It gets harder and harder for me to control my emotions every time I do it."_

 _"I know, Red," she heard Casey gently shush April. "But you know, it might not even be him. You could be just jumping to conclusions here."_

 _"I just know it's him," April sniffled. "As much as I want to deny it."_

 _She quietly made her way down the hall and to the stairs. As she slowly went down step by step, she listened in on their parents' conversation._

 _"I should never have accepted this job," April said with a sob._

 _"I thought you wanted to be a reporter? Isn't that why you took journalism in college?"_

 _"That was only because my Mom was a reporter. I followed in her footsteps because it made me feel closer to her."_

 _"Aw, Red..."_

 _"I know. I know it's stupid."_

 _She peeked her head through the bars of the stair rail, and her parents were sitting on the couch. April had her head in her hands, while Casey soothingly rubbed her back._

 _"After Mikey died and the others left, I was hoping I could start over and live a more...I guess normal life. But obviously that's asking too much. I mean, I was doomed to live an abnormal life since before I was even born, and my past follows me everywhere I go. The Kraang experimented on my Mom, making me into what I am. I had to spend two years of my life fighting ninjas and aliens. My best friends were mutant Turtles, and I lost one of them to some murdering psychopath. And then there's Shadow..." April sighed and raised her head, revealing her tear-stained cheeks. "But don't get me wrong, Casey. I don't ever regret finding her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to this family."_

 _"She is," Casey agreed, patting her on the back. "See, hon? Some good did come out of our not-so-normal lives."_

 _"I just hope that she never finds out, you know? It would tear her apart. I want her to have what I never could: a normal life." She happened to look up where Shadow was hiding and her blue eyes widened in surprise. "Shadow?" she gasped._

 _Now that she was busted, Shadow went down the rest of the stairs and looked at her mother in worry. "Mommy, are you okay?"_

 _"Yes, sweetie," April wiped her tears away and got off the couch. She walked over to where Shadow stood and knelt down, smiling warmly at her daughter. "Mommy's okay," she softy said as she stroked Shadow's hair. "Go back to sleep, okay?"_

 _But instead of going back upstairs, Shadow handed the dragonfly earrings to April, who was surprised that she had them. She looked down at the floor in shame and meekly apologized to her mother._

 _"Sorry I played with your earrings."_

* * *

"Bleh!"

Shadow spat out another bug as she and Raph rode through the forest of the Oasis on his motorcycle. The Turtle smiled to himself and shook his head. He warned the kid to keep her mouth closed.

He just couldn't wait to show the others the "angel" that he found in the desert. He couldn't help but notice that she did look a little familiar, though, like he _had_ seen her somewhere before. She kinda reminded him of...

But that person was dead, right? Maybe this was an alternate younger version of her, and she really was from another dimension. Or maybe this was another Kraang creature like the one from the farmhouse fifty years ago. Either way, he wasn't letting her out of his sight.

They eventually reached a small camp that was hidden in the canyon and located next to a river. There were a few large tents and a hut that was made of stone and had a thatched roof.

Squating next to the river was what looked like a meerkat mutant, who was gathering up some water into a bucket. As soon as her pointed ears picked up the sound of the bike approaching camp, she turned and was pleased to see that Raphael has returned. She set the bucket down and sprinted to where he parked.

"Raphael!" she shouted. "You're back!"

"Yep," Raph grunted as he got off his bike and then gestured to Shadow behind him. "And I brought a guest."

The meerkat tilted her head as she looked at the strange creature that was climbing off Raph's bike. "What is _that_? A monkey?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow at her. "What? No! I'm a human!"

At this announcement, the meerkat's grey eyes widened. "A human?" she gasped. "But...I thought all humans were extinct?"

"She's not from here," Raph explained, although he looked at Shadow a bit suspiciously. "If what she's saying is true."

Shadow looked at him offended and shocked. "What, you don't believe me?"

"No offense, kid, but I have my reasons for being suspicious."

"Such as?"

Before Raph could answer that, a loud raspy voice called out.

"Yo, Raph! Did you get those peaches?"

A scrawny, smaller Turtle with long grey hair stepped out of a tent. He wore an orange bandana on his head and a patterned poncho, and as he approached them, Shadow could see that he had freckles and light blue eyes.

Wait a minute...freckles and blue eyes? Could it be...?

"You know I need peaches for my..." He trailed off when he noticed the human girl standing next to Raph, and his eyes became as wide as saucers. "No way." He smiled widely, revealing his few rotten teeth. "No McFreakin' way!" He ran to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, his leaning close to hers as he studied her over. "It's you...the golden-haired, green-eyed angel from my vision!"

Shadow couldn't help but gag at his horrible breath and scrunched up her nose. "Um, could you please not be so...close to my face?"

Raph chuckled and pulled her away. "She's not an angel, Mikey. She's just a normal kid."

Shadow's green eyes widened at the mention of that name. "Mikey?" So it really was him! "You're Michelangelo?"

Mikey was surprised that she knew his name. "Oh, have we met before?"

"Well, no," Shadow said. "We never actually met, but I've heard stories about you."

"Stories, huh?" Mikey smiled proudly. "Are they mostly about how awesome I am?"

"Mikey," Raph interrupted, "she says she's from another dimension. A world where the Mutagen Bomb never fell."

"Whoaaaaa..." Mikey stared at her in awe. "So, like, are you friend of ours in your world?"

"I'm practically part of the family," Shadow turned to Raph. "Raph is both my honorary uncle and my Sensei."

Raph raised an eye ridge, intrigued. "Huh. So you a kunoichi or something?"

"Kunoichi in training," Shadow smirked. "But I'm getting there."

"And what about me?" Mikey asked, eyes filled with wonder and curiosity. "Am I still the pizza-eating, adventurous, awesome, radical, cute ninja everyone knows and loves?"

Shadow pursed her lips. Great. How was she going to tell him? But just as she opened her mouth to speak, Mikey interrupted her.

"Wait," he said with a raised finger. "You can tell us all about it later tonight. In the meantime, make yourself at home." He slung an arm over her shoulder and walked her to the stone hut. "Our hut's pretty much our living room, but it could also be the guest room. You just kick back and take off your shoes."

The inside of the hut was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. On the walls were shelves that were full of books and other various items, and there was even a chimney. There was a large bed on one side of the hut while there was a small desk with a computer on the other. Hanging down the ceiling was an electric fan that felt so good on her face after being exposed to the sun all day.

She immediately plopped herself on the bed and kicked her shoes off. The moment her head hit the fluffy pillows, she drifted off to sleep. What a day...

* * *

"...adow. Shadow, wake up."

"Huh...?" Shadow slowly opened her eyes and found herself back in her bedroom. She turned to her right and saw her mother standing next to her bed. She still had her beautiful red hair and there was no incision scar.

Shadow quickly rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. "Mom?" she gasped. "You...you're not...?"

April raised an eyebrow. "I'm not what, sweetie?"

The teen closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank God," she muttered. It was all a dream. A nightmare, actually. She noticed her mother looking at her weird. "Oh, uh, bad dream, that's all."

"Oh. Well, you'd better hurry up and get dressed," April patted her on the knee. "Or you'll be late for school."

"Uh, right," Shadow quickly got out of bed, eager to start the brand new day. The sunlight shined through her window and she could hear birds chirping merrily. It was going to be a beautiful day.

...

"And then I was teleported to a world where some king of bomb destroyed everything and everyone, except mutants," Shadow described the dream to April as they drove to school. "Oh! And Mikey was still alive, and he grew hair! Did you know that they can grow hair?"

April giggled. "I don't they can grow hair, Shadow. They're Turtles, after all. Besides, it was just a dream; silly things tend to happen in them."

Shadow chuckled weakly. "Heh, yeah. That's true." She looked at the passenger window and watched the people and buildings that they passed by. She never truly appreciated what she had until she had that horrific dream. She was even looking forward to going to school.

The song _What A Wonderful World_ was playing on the radio, which Shadow thought was appropriate at the time as she absorbed all the beauty that her world had to offer, when it was suddently interrupted by an emergency broadcast.

 _This is not a test!_ a man's frantic voice spoke. _A Kraang bomb has been detected and is expected to hit New York within minutes! All citizens must get to a shelter immediately! I repeat, get to a shelter immediately!_

April slammed the brakes and the car came to a screeching halt. Both her and Shadow looked at each other in worry and dread.

"Bomb...?" Shadow said in a soft, fearful tone.

For a moment, April said nothing and just stared at her with eyes full of fear. Then she frantically unbuckled her seatbelt. "Get out of the car, honey," she said in a panicked tone.

Shadow jumped out of the vehicle and her mother grabbed her hand. They ran down the street and Shadow could hear people shouting and screaming. Some ran into their houses to take shelter as instructed. Others simply dropped to their knees and held onto each other as they sobbed and prayed. The bomb alarms were sounding off, which made Shadow feel even more scared than she already was.

"Mom!" she shouted to April as she was being dragged. "Where are we going?!"

"I know a place where we can take shelter!" April shouted back, glancing back at her. "It's not far from here!"

Just then, in the distance, something large and round floated down from the sky and toward the city. Just before it reached the skyscrapers, it flashed a bright green light, and Shadow could faintly hear screams of terror. She stopped running and just stood there in the middle of the street, mesmerized by the light.

"SHADOW!" April pulled on her hand, but she wouldn't move. In desperation, she grabbed her daughter in a tight hug to shield her from the blast.

All around her, Shadow could see the locals screaming and writhing as their bodies suddenly enlarged and became horribly disfigured. Some of them even exploded, guts and blood splattering everywhere. It was ten times worse than any horror movie she had ever seen.

April started to scream shrilly and Shadow quickly pulled out of her embrace.

"MOM!"

To her horror, the veins in her mother's bulged out and her face began to swell up. Her screams became inhuman as her arms morphed into terrible tentacles...

* * *

"AAAHHHHH!"

Shadow screamed as she sat up in the bed. After calming herself down a bit, she looked at her surroundings and realized that she was only dreaming. She was still in the other dimension with the still-alive, elderly Mikey. The homesickness returned and she laid back on the bed with a heavy, disheartened sigh.

"I heard some screaming," a soft, familiar voice suddenly spoke. "Are you all right?"

Shadow sat up and instantly gasped when she saw a grotesque, massive Turtle standing in the doorway of the hut. He wore a chest harness and blue pants, and his neck was larger than his head. And the bulged veins on his arms and neck...they were green.

His appearance absolutely terrified her.

She began to scream and instinctively backed up against the wall. "HELP! HELP!" She felt a scared little girl calling for help, but she couldn't help it.

A look of hurt flashed across the Turtle's face and he quickly went back outside. Shadow sighed in relief after he left, but then she felt very foolish and ashamed of herself. She overreacted, big time. That Turtle looked and sounded familiar, though...

Moments later Raph stepped into the hut, and he looked furious. "What is your problem?" he snapped.

Shadow raised her hands up defensively. "Look, I'm sorry, but he scared me! You could've warned me ahead of time!"

Raph growled and stomped over to the bed, making Shadow cower away a bit. "Well, Leo can't help how he looks!"

Shadow's eyes widened. "Leo? That was Leonardo?"

Raph grunted and nodded. "Yeah, and he still is, even if his appearance had changed. What, you freak out everytime you see an ugly person?"

"Raph," Mikey appeared at the doorway with a steaming bowl in his hand. "It wasn't her fault, Bro. She didn't know. Why don't you go talk to Leo?"

The older Turtle grumbled as he walked out of the hut, while Mikey sat down on the bed, giving Shadow a small smile.

"Sorry about Raph," he softly said. "He can't help being protective of us, and Leo's transformation has always been a...touchy subject."

"I-I see. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to Leo?" Shadow meekly asked.

Mikey closed his eyes and sighed, a saddened look on his wrinkled face. "Fifty years ago, when the Mutagen Bomb hit, Leo was caught in middle of the blast while attempting to save us. Instead of killing him, it changed him into what he is now. It was a heavy price that he had to pay."

Now Shadow felt even more ashamed of her behavior. Leo became the way he was now because he made a heroic sacrifice. She couldn't imagine how it felt for him to look at his reflection every day and be met with a grotesque monster looking back at him. "I'm...I'm so sorry," she said.

Mikey only patted her on the shoulder. "You didn't know, dudette." He handed her the warm bowl. "Here. This will calm your nerves."

Inside the bowl was a yellow-green liquid with some green leaves and what looked like mushrooms mixed in it. The instant the aroma filled her nostrils, she gagged and coughed. It smelled like vomit.

"What...What is that?" she held her nose.

"It's soup. I call it, Michelangelo's Mushroom Trip," he proudly announced.

Shadow raised an eyebrow and looked down at the "soup" in the bowl. "Mushroom Trip? I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

"Hey, I've been eating that stuff for years," Mikey smiled and pointed to himself. "Look at me now!"

Shadow did look at him, and she could clearly see the effects that the mushrooms had on him. She smirked crookedly at him. "Yeah, great," she mumbled. "Thanks, but I'll pass."

Mikey did the puppy dogs and pouty lips, although it didn't really make him look any cuter like how it used to when he was young. "Aw, come on. Just one sip?"

Finding herself unable to say no to him, she sucked in a deep breath and dipped her spoon into the bowl.

* * *

"So many spots," Shadow giggled loopily, her pupils dilated. "Little tiny dots, like a Dalmatian. Hee hee!"

She sat at the campfire with the other Turtles and Mira the meerkat, who all stared at her with concern. Except Mikey, who found her behavior quite amusing and chuckled as he roasted a marshmallow.

Donnie, who had a robot body with rabbit ears, shook his head and let out a mechanical, exasperated sigh. "This isn't funny, Mikey. She could end up with permant brain damage thanks to your mushrooms."

"Nah, she'll be fine," Mikey took a bite of his marshmallow, a string of white, gooey substance hanging down his lips. "I never had brain damage."

"With you, who could tell?" Raph dryly remarked.

Mikey ignored him and turned to Shadow. "So, miss Shadow, tell us a little bit about yourself."

Shadow immediately started rambling. "Let's see, I'm 5'8, I was born on July 6th, my favorite band is Guns 'N Roses, I absolutely love puppies, I-"

"Uh, how about some _important_ information?" Raph huffed. "Like where you're from and how you got here?"

"Raph, don't interrupt," Mikey scolded him. "Let her speak. Please continue, Shadow."

"I hate golf," Shadow continued, "I once swallowed my own baby tooth, I can do cartwheels, my Mom is April and she's a reporter, my Dad is Casey and he's a hockey coach, I hate wearing dresses, my favorite..."

As Shadow went on and on, Raph and Leo glanced over at Donnie, who had slumped a little. Although he no longer had a face to express his emotions, his body language said it all. He always dreaded the idea of Casey and April getting together, and finding out that they were married and had a daughter in another dimension hurt his already broken heart.

He really missed April O'Neil. Everyone did, but her death undoubtably impacted him the most.

"...I used to date a Foot member, annnnnnnd I ended up in this dimension because Newtralizer hit me with this weird electric blast." Shadow took in a deep breath after she finally finished. "There. That's everything about me. Can I have more mushrooms?"

"Wait," Donnie's rabbit ears perked up. "Did you say that Newtralizer sent you here?"

"Uh-huh," Shadow nodded. "He's got, like, these really cool powers. Everything he zaps disintegrates, but not me. Instead I get teleported to this weird world. Don't ask me how, 'cause it sure beats the crap outta me." She spotted a firefly and looked at it in awe. "Pretty..."

"Right," Raph raised an eye ridge skeptically. "Okay, so, uh, now that we know a little bit about you, tell us about _your_ Turtles. You know, our alternate selves."

"Well, Donnie is part robot, not all robot like him," she pointed to Donatello. "Oh, and he's banging my art teacher."

"I'm _what_ now?" Donnie incredulously asked.

"My Leo's not massive and double mutated, but he's even scarier than your Leo." She then turned to Leo and smiled sheepishly at him. "Sorry about earlier, by the way."

Leo smiled sadly at her. "That's okay. I know I have a frightening appearance."

"Anyway, he's a bad guy who calls himself the Serpent and he goes around killing people."

Leo's face instantly paled.

"Well, he only kills criminals, but still it's pretty sick. And that's why he's in jail now."

"Well, uh," Leo cleared his throat and stood up from his log, "nature calls. I'll be right back."

Raph watched with sympathy as his older brother disappeared into the woods, before he glared over at the human girl.

Shadow continued on, unaware of the nasty look she was getting from Raph. "As for Raph, he's my Sensei. He's got only one eye and not because he's a pirate."

"That would be so cool, though," Mikey chuckled. "You know, Raph grew a beard once. If your Raph was a pirate, and he grew a beard, he could name himself Captain Turtlebeard."

Shadow laughed so hard that she nearly fell off her log, still dopey from the mushrooms. Thankfully Mira, who was sitting next to her, caught her and helped her back up. "Captain Turtlebeard! Good one!"

"How did your Raph lose his eye?" Raph asked impatiently.

"He cut it out," Shadow said with a bit of sadness in her voice. "He felt so guilty about what happened to Mikey that he mutilated himself."

It became completely silent for a moment, save for the crickets chirping and the fire cracking. Raph's jaw dropped, Mira stared at Shadow wide-eyed, Donnie was as still as a statue, and Mikey nodded his head with a grim look on his face.

"I see," he calmly said. "And what exactly happened to that Mikey?"

"He was tortured to death by the Shredder," Shadow said. "And his brothers were forced to watch. That's why they broke apart and became so screwed up."

"Alright, that's it," Raph grumbled as he got up. "I've heard enough." He stomped away from the camp, muttering curses under his breath.

Mikey sighed and shook his head. "D, look after Shadow for a minute." He quickly finished his marshmallow and went to go look for Raph.

It was awkwardly silent before Donnie cleared his throat. "So..."

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Shadow pointed at Donnie.

"Uh, sure."

"How does it feel to never have to pee?"

"...Excuse me?"

"Oh, so you _do_ pee. Pee what, oil?"

"I...I don't pee at all! This body wasn't built to-"

"Do you miss having a penis?"

"Okay, can we change the subject please?!"

Shadow leaned over to Mira and whispered in her ear. "Men are always so touchy when it comes to their ding-dongs." She squinted her eyes as she studied the meerkat's face. "Did you know you have, like, a hundred bugs crawling all over you?"

"W-What?" Mira began to panic and frantically wiped her face. As she did, Shadow leaned over and puked out all the contents of her stomach.

"Oh, boy," Donnie muttered as he walked over to her and soothingly rubbed her back as she continued to hurl.

* * *

"Raph! Wait up!"

Said Turtle sighed and stopped in his tracks, allowing his frail little brother to catch up with him. Mikey huffed and puffed as he ran over to Raph, and once he finally caught up, he leaned on his brother's arm as he tried to catch his breath.

"What...what was...that about, Raph?" Mikey said in between pants.

Raph sighed again and looked away shamefully. "I know, Mikey. I overreacted back there. And it was probably just the mushrooms talking."

"The mushrooms don't lie, bro," Mikey said. "They're just as effective as truth serums. If the kid had anything to hide, she would've told us by now."

Raph looked at his brother surprised. "Wait. So that's why you gave her those mushrooms?"

"Well, that, and she was totally freaking out, which is understandable considering her predicament. So I had to calm her down, and it worked, didn't it?"

"She's delusional, Mikey."

"Eh, she'll sleep it off," Mikey waved his hand dismissively. "She'll be fine by morning."

Raph groaned and rolled his eyes. Typical Mikey. "Okay, so maybe she _was_ telling the truth about being from another dimension. But even so, how can we help her get back home? It's not like we have a Kraang portal door lying around."

Mikey rubbed his chin and stuck his tongue out in thought. "Hmmmm...actually, I remembered something just now. Shortly after the bomb hit, I was climbing through all the rubble when I spotted something in the distance. It looked like a skyscraper, probably the only one left in New York. Looking back, it looked awfully familiar, and my gut tells me that it was the TCRI building. Maybe we'll find Kraang tech there and use it to-"

"Whoa, hold up," Raph interrupted. "That's impossible. Think about it. Everything was destroyed in the blast. How could one building out of millions still be standing?"

"Nothing's impossible, Raph," Mikey insisted. "Besides, I predicted Shadow's arrival, didn't I?"

"Okay, you were right," Raph snapped. "But you were _half_ right. You said an angel was coming to visit us, but she's clearly not an angel. I can't believe you still believe in that junk."

"What junk?" Mikey raised an eyebrow. "You mean about angels? What's wrong with believing in angels?"

"If you believe in angels, then you have to believe in God."

"And what's so wrong about that?"

Raph looked at him like he was nuts. "What's wrong about that? Mikey, look at the world around you! If there really was some benevolent, omnipotent being with a white beard up in the clouds, He wouldn't have allowed all of this to happen!"

"Good point," Mikey crossed his arms. "But keep in mind that He gave us the world and then we screwed it over with wars, pollution, and finally bombs. And God gave us brains, too, which means we're not completely helpless and we just have to figure out how to fix this mess."

"What...that's...argh!" Raph facepalmed in frustration. "Whatever! I can't believe I'm having a theological debate with _you_ of all people!" He jabbed a finger into Mikey's plastron. "If you want to go out there and risk your life looking for a building that doesn't exist anymore, be my guest!"

He started to walk back to the camp, but he stopped for a moment to look at Mikey. "Like it or not, Mikey, there's no one up there looking out for us. We're alone down here, so we have to help ourselves instead of relying on your blind faith. It's time for you to grow up and leave your little fantasy world."

As Raph resumed his walk back home, Mikey sighed softly and watched him go with sad eyes.


	32. Journey To TCRI

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _"If only you got to meet her, Shadow," April sighed sadly as she knelt down and placed the flowers into the vase that was set before the tombstone. The engraved words read, "BEATRICE O'NEIL, Faithful Wife And Loving Mother"._

 _Eight-year-old Shadow watched as her mother kissed her fingertips and pressed them against the stone. She never liked visiting the cemetery. It was creepy and eerily quiet, of course that was because it was full of dead people. She shivered at the idea of walking over people that were buried under her feet._

 _"Mom, can we please go now?" she begged._

 _"Okay, sweetie, we're going," April stood back up and held her daughter's hand as they walked away from the tombstone and down the hill._

 _"Can we get ice cream later?" Shadow watched as the dragonflies hovered over the grass and zoomed over their heads._

 _"Hmmm, maybe," April told her with a smile as they approached their car. Once they got in and April turned the ignition key, Shadow turned to her mother and asked her a rather unexpected question._

 _"Mom, how did Grandma die?"_

 _April flinched and looked at her daughter in surprise. "You...You want to know how...?"_

 _Shadow instantly thought that she did something wrong and began to frantically apologize. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't ask stuff like-"_

 _"No, no, it's okay, sweetie," April softly assured her and cupped her chin with her hand. She drove out of the cemetery before she took a deep breath and began to tell the story. "Shadow, have you ever heard of the Kraang?"_

 _Shadow nodded. "Uh-huh. We talked about them in history class."_

 _"Well, you see, honey, a long time ago, when I was little, the Kraang took your Grandma away."_

 _Shadow's green eyes enlarged. "What? You mean, they kidnapped her?"_

 _"Yes, they did, and she was never seen nor heard from again."_

 _"Then...maybe she's not really dead! She's just missing and we have to find her!"_

 _April's blue eyes were full of sadness as she looked over at her daughter and shook her head. "I don't think we'll ever find her, Shadow, as much as I want to see her again."_

 _"But...But there might be a chance that she's still alive!" Shadow insisted. "Besides, how can you visit a grave if no one's in the coffin? It doesn't make any sense."_

 _The corners of her mother's mouth lifted into a small, sad smile. "It will make sense to you someday."_

 _Shadow sighed and turned her attention back to the road...right before she screamed at the top of her lungs._

 _A red SUV was in the wrong lane and driving straight toward them. Panicking, April used her mind to swerve the vehicle onto the other lane, but she used too much power and it crashed right into a tree. Fearing for the driver, April parked on the side of the road and hopped out._

 _"Stay here, honey!" April told Shadow as she ran to the crashed SUV. Shadow peeked through the back window of the car and watched as her mother checked on the driver, who fortunately wasn't seriously hurt. He jumped out of his seat and babbled apologies to her, claiming that he looked down to text for a second._

 _Knowing that they were going to stay for a while until the police arrived, Shadow pulled out her coloring book and box of crayons from under her seat. The next page for her to color was a picture of a couple of smiling fishes and a starfish._

 _As she began to color the starfish with a pink crayon, an image suddenly flashed across her mind like lightning, the image of a strange pink creature that had frightening green eyes and long tentacles. She dropped the crayon in shock and shook her head, blinking a few times before coming back to her senses._

 _"Wow," she mumbled to herself as she picked up the crayon and resumed her coloring. "That was_ really _weird."_

* * *

She woke up with the worst headache in her life, like someone repeatedly hit her skull with a hammer. Groaning, she sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, you're awake!"

She turned to see robo Donnie sitting at the computer desk. He stood up from his chair and walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked her.

"Peachy," Shadow deadpanned, stretching herself a bit. "What happened last night?"

"You mean you don't remember?"

"Memory's a bit fuzzy. Last thing I remember is eating Michelangelo's mushroom soup. I _knew_ I shouldn't have eaten that stuff."

"Yeah, well, I told him those mushrooms weren't suitable for consumption. Anyway, you told us your backstory and how you came to our dimension."

"Really?" Shadow nervously asked. "Did I reveal...too much information about myself?"

"Well, about half of the stuff that you told us last night, we really didn't need to know," Donnie shrugged. "But you pretty much gave us all the information that we needed. And Mikey and I have been talking about how to get you back home."

Shadow's green eyes lit up with hope. "What? Really?"

"Yep," Donnie nodded. "See, we have reason to believe that the TCRI building is still standing in what's left of New York. We're hoping there will be some Kraang technology left for us to use. If there is, we could create a portal and transport you back to your dimension."

"Well, what if this TCRI building doesn't exist?" Shadow gloomily asked. She hated to be such a pessimist, but she had to prepare for the worst. "Would I be stuck here forever?"

"Not necessarily," Donnie said, placing a comforting robot hand on her shoulder. "We would just have to find another way."

"What about this...what did Fishdick call it...Last City? Think we could find something there?"

Donnie paused before shaking his head. "No. No, that would have to be our last _last_ resort. The mutants there will eat you alive. Literally. They sell human meats in their markets."

"Oh, right," Shadow shivered before clearing her throat. "Um, speaking of food, I'm getting kinda hungry."

"Well, you're in luck," Donnie chirped, taking Shadow's hand and helping her out of bed. "Mikey's outside cooking breakfast right now."

Shadow looked at him in surprise and worry. "Wait. _He's_ cooking?"

...

Mikey hummed as he fried two more eggs on a pan, which he held over a burning pile of firewood. He turned when he heard someone walking out of the hut and was pleased to see that their human guest was awake.

"Good morning, sunshine!" he happily greeted Shadow, who mumbled a "good morning" back and sat down on a log. "How are you feeling?"

The teen glared up at him and rested her chin in her hand. "Like I swam in a pool full of sugar and had the worst sugar rush ever...if that even makes sense...I dunno," she sighed and rubbed her temples again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I feel pretty crappy. And I have _you_ to thank for that."

Mikey only nodded and placed the three cooked eggs on a plate. "Yeah, well, don't worry. That feeling's only temporary. You'll get better in no time." He offered her the plate of food and smiled widely at her. "Eat up! You'll need your energy for the long trip ahead of you!"

Shadow looked down at her breakfast skeptically. It looked and smelled normal, but still, she could never be too careful. "Is this drugged too?"

The elder Turtle chuckled light-heartedly, placing the plate in her hands. "Nope. Just your normal sunny-side up fried eggs."

She looked up at him and back down at her eggs before she shrugged and took the fork that he handed to her.

"I smell eggs! Awesome!"

Mira and Raph arrived with buckets of water and set them down. Excited about breakfast, the mutant meerkat ran to Mikey, who gladly handed her another plate. Raph was less enthusiastic but grateful nonetheless and accepted his plate while giving Mikey a thankful nod.

Mikey frowned when he noticed something amiss. "Hey, where's Leo?"

"Down by the lake," Raph sat down on a log with a grunt, and Mira sat next to him, excitedly devouring her eggs. "He won't be joining us this morning."

"Why not?" Mikey was both hurt and confused.

In response, Raph looked over at Shadow and gave her a nasty look, which sent shivers down the teen's spine. "Because a certain someone is a little nervous around him," he said in a low, accusing tone.

Shadow groaned in frustration and slapped her fork down on her plate. "Look, I said I was sorry!"

"Yeah, Raph," Donnie stepped out of the hut and sat down next to Shadow. "Go easy on her, will you? She's already dealing with enough as it is."

"Whatever," Raph grumbled as he stabbed at an egg with his fork. "The sooner we get her back to her world, the better."

Shadow scoffed and shook her head. Jerk. "So how will we get to New York? You guys got a tank or more bikes or something?"

Mikey picked up the pan and a large stick, a mischievous grin on his face. "Even better." He then started to bang the stick against the pan, making loud clanking noises. "CHOMPY! BREAKFAST! COME AND GET IT!"

At the mention of that familiar name, Shadow's eyes widened in surprise. "Chompy?" She set her plate down and stood up, looking around for the turtle pooch. "He's here? Where?"

Suddenly the ground began to shake and Shadow could hear rapid, massive footsteps approaching. She turned around and yelped when she saw a _huge_ purple turtle creature that was the size of a boat heading straight toward them. She bent down and covered her head with her arms as it got closer, and she felt it breathing on her neck, sniffing her.

"Chompy, meet Shadow!" she heard Mikey say.

"Huh?" Shadow slowly looked up at the monster and into its big purple eyes. She knew those eyes anywhere. "No way...Chompy?" The turtle wagged its long tail and started to pant excitedly. There was no doubt about it, this was her space pooch, only he was the size of a freaking boat! Shadow smiled widely and hugged his snout. "Oh, Chompy! Hey, boy!"

Mikey chuckled and walked over to them with a plate of eggs. "I take it you have a Chompy back in your dimension?" He lifted the plate to Chompy, who ate all of the eggs in one lick.

"Yeah, I do!" Shadow laughed as she started to scratch Chompy under his chin, like how she did with her Chompy. The space turtle's leg moved up and down in response and a blissful look was on his face.

"Awww," Mira smiled at the scene. "She's really good with him."

Raph rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath before he went back to eating breakfast.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile, at the lake..._**

With a heavy heart, Leo stared down at his reflection in the water, at the monster that used to terrorize the wastelands. He hurt so many people as Maximus Kong, including his own brothers. He wasn't supposed to be the bad guy; he was supposed to grow up to be a great hero like Captain Ryan, just as he had always dreamed.

And that look of terror on Shadow's face when she first saw him made him feel even worse. He also recalled what Shadow said at the campfire last night, about her Leonardo killing people on a regular basis. Was he monster in every dimension that ever existed?

Snarling, he slapped at the water and sighed heavily, cradling his head in his hands.

"Hey, Leo."

He turned to see Donnie approaching him with a plate of fried eggs. "Brought you breakfast."

Smiling sadly, Leo accepted his plate and nodded. "Thanks, Donnie."

"Are you okay?" Donnie asked, sensing his brother's sadness.

"I'm fine," Leo softly said, poking at his eggs with the fork.

Donnie patted him on the shell. "I wish you would go with us. It might do you some good to go on a road trip."

Leo closed his eyes and somberly shook his head. "No, I couldn't do that. People will see me. A monster like me should be kept hidden from the world."

The robo Turtle sighed. "Leo, we talked about this. You're not a monster."

"I'm still not going, Donnie," Leo sternly but calmly said. "Besides, someone has to stay and watch the camp while you guys are gone."

"Well, alright," Donnie patted his shell again. "If you insist. Just try not to let this get you down, okay?"

Leo nodded and watched his brother leave, and just as he was about to start eating his eggs, a wild stoat suddenly poked its head out of the tall grass and slowly made its way toward the Turtle. Leo could see hunger in its beady little black eyes and offered his eggs to the smaller creature.

He wasn't hungry anyway.

* * *

"Two gallons of water? Check!"

While Mikey and Donnie checked on the supplies for the journey, Shadow showed Mira all the apps on her phone. The meerkat was amazed that such a small device could do so many things, such as contacting someone, taking photos, playing videos, and even giving directions. It amused Shadow to see someone geek out over something as simple as a smartphone. Then again, Mira lived in a post-apocalyptic world so anything from the past would be new and strange to her.

"And it plays music!" Shadow pulled out her headphones and fit them carefully into Mira's ears. "Hear, listen to this." She pulled up the app that stored all of her downloaded music and pressed "play" to one of her songs.

Mira's grey eyes widened as she listened to Nirvana's _Come As You Are_. "Oh...who is this singing?" she whispered in awe.

"Kurt Cobain," Shadow grinned. "Only the greatest grunge star to have ever lived. In fact, he _started_ grunge."

Mira tilted her head. "Grunge?"

"We're ready for the road!" Mikey announced as Donnie climbed onto Chompy's saddle and loaded it with the supplies.

"Gotta go," Shadow gently took the headphones out of Mira's ears.

The meerkat looked up at the human with sad eyes. "You will come back, right? I want to hear more stories, especially the ones about the talking sponge named Robert."

Shadow laughed and playfully nudged Mira on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

Raph leaned against a tree with his arms crossed and watched them getting ready for the road, but he kept his eyes mainly on Shadow, still feeling rather suspicious of her.

"Raph."

Mikey's voice startled Raph and he yelled in surprised. He turned to see his little brother standing next to him. "Geez, Mikey! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," Mikey grinned sheepishly. "You sure you won't come with us?"

Raph snorted. "No thanks." He glanced over at Shadow and leaned in to whisper in Mikey's ear. "Listen, Mikey, I don't like the idea of you traveling alone with _her_. But since you insist on looking for this imaginary building, you'll just have to keep your guard up. Don't let her out of your sight, you hear?"

Mikey sighed and shook his head. "Raph, why is she such a threat to you? She's just a kid who needs to get back home! I trust her! Why can't you?"

"After eveything we've been through, Mikey, I don't know who to trust anymore. We live in a mutant-eat-mutant world. There's always someone out there to kill you. I should never have rescued her from those Hook punks, 'cause otherwise it would've been _their_ problem, not ours."

Mikey glared him, appalled by his last remark. "You know, that's a really nice attitude, Raph. Or have you forgotten everything Master Splinter ever taught us? About helping others?"

"Those days are over!" Raph snapped. "We have to help ourselves now! But hey, you've got nothing to worry about, 'cause after all, you have your...angel looking out for you, right?"

"Hey, Mikey!" Donnie called out to his younger brother as he helped Shadow into Chompy's saddle. "We need to go now if we want to get there by dark!"

Mikey simply stared at Raph for a moment, mixed emotions in his eyes before he started to walk away. But he stopped for a moment to glance back at his hotheaded brother. "You know Raph, I can respect that you lost your faith. But that doesn't give you the right to act like a jerk."

He didn't wait to see Raph's reaction and hurried over to Chompy, who lifted him up with his snout. Mikey climbed into the saddle and grabbed hold of the reins. "Let's go, Chompy!"

The space turtle let out an excited growl and headed for the desert at full speed.

...

During the ride, as they traveled across the wasteland, Shadow leaned up against the rolled up sleeping pads and listened to her tunes to pass the time. She pulled up Stevie Nicks' _Desert Angel_ and pressed "play".

 _I was born in the desert_

 _So I know how it feels there_

 _Well, look up, it's a shooting star_

 _But it's as black as night, no stars_

She slowly lowered her eyelids as she relaxed under the sun, the cool breeze hitting her face as they continued to ride.

 **Next chapter we will get back to the prime timeline and see how Raph and the others are doing.**


	33. Dominan Pride

**To Guest Akimii: I'm sorry that I'm not updating as fast as you want me to, and I really am trying (I hate keeping my readers waiting), but I have other stories and requests to do. Hope you understand. :)**

 **A new villain makes his appearance in this chapter: Dominan Pride! (Pronounced "Dominant" without a "t".) He's an obvious parody of an infamous Mad Max villain (can you guess who?).**

 **Again, I'm not really good a writing battle scenes, so if they seem short and not descriptive enough, forgive me. I promised more action in this chapter, so here you go!**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _ **In the prime timeline...**_

"Hello, April," Gaia gave her friend a sad smile as she walked into the room with a small bouquet of flowers in her hand.

April, who was still lying in a hospital bed, barely turned her head and acknowledged her with a slight nod. Casey squeezed her hand before leaving her side to take the flowers from Gaia. "Thanks for coming, Gaia," he said with a small smile, "and for the flowers."

"Of course," Gaia nodded. "How are you two feeling?"

Casey sighed heavily as he set the flowers down on a nearby drawer. "I'm...okay, I guess. Can't say the same about April, though."

The art teacher glanced over at April, who continued to stare numbly at the television in front of her, even though it wasn't turned on. Her heart broke for the reporter and she couldn't imagine what she was feeling. The poor woman was held hostage and operated on and then she had to watch her baby die.

"I heard from Donnie that you saved Raph," Casey said. "I can't thank you enough, Gaia. But, uh, I'm sorry to hear that you had a seizure afterwards."

Gaia shrugged. "It's fine. I'm used to it, actually."

"Gaia..."

Both of them turned to see April staring directly at the art teacher with tired dull blue eyes. "You saved Raph?" When Gaia nodded, April slowly started to sit up in her bed.

"Honey," Casey rushed to his wife and tried to gently ease her back on the mattress. "Take it easy. Lie back down."

But April ignored him and struggled weakly against him, eyes still locked on Gaia. "Why? Why only Raph?" The anger in her voice started to become more evident as she spoke. "Why couldn't you have saved Shadow as well?"

Gaia could sense her friend's growing anger and started to walk toward her. "April-"

"You have powers, right?" April hissed, clutching Casey's shirt. "Use them to bring her back."

"April, honey, listen," Gaia started to softly say, "I can't-"

"BRING HER BACK!" Now April was starting to scream and struggle against Casey even more, reaching for the stunned art teacher. "BRING MY BABY BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"April!" Casey tried to calm her down but to no avail. "April, stop! Think of the baby!"

"I WANT SHADOW BACK! I WANT HER BACK! DO IT NOW! DO IT OR I'LL-!" She immediately stopped once Gaia placed her hand on her arm and whispered the word, "calm". Casey watched in amazement as his wife slowly let go of his shirt and lay back down, taking deep, calm breaths. He looked over at Gaia and silently thanked her with a grateful nod.

"April," Gaia spoke softly to the reporter and sat down on the chair next to the bed, taking her hand. "I can't bring people back from the dead, but I can sense their energy, even after they've died."

April looked up at her with eyes that glistened with tears. "And you can sense Shadow?"

Gaia nodded. "Yes, but...her patterns tell me that she isn't dead at all."

The whole room became completely silent for a moment, save for the beeping of the machines to which April was hooked up to.

"Wh-What do you mean, Gaia...?" April whispered, giving Gaia's hand a brief squeeze.

"Well, you see, energy cannot be created or destroyed," Gaia explained. "It can only be transformed, and it returns to the electromagnetic fields of the planet and the forces in space. After my parents and grandmother died, I tried to find their spirits, and I eventually found out that death has a very specific energy that defies the laws of the universe and follows a pattern. If someone is dead, some of that pattern hangs around people and things to which they were attached."

"So what are you saying, Gaia?" Casey anxiously asked, wanting her to get to the point.

"After I heared about what happened to Shadow, I tried to find her energy through meditation, but I couldn't sense a pattern for her at all. And that could only mean one thing: that she's still alive."

"B-But, we saw her get disintegrated by Newtralizer, ourselves," tears were now dripping down April's cheeks. "How could she still be alive?"

"I don't know how it's possible, but whenever I search for Shadow's life force, I get a specific feedback that I recognize from my grandmother's teachings. She taught me how to feel patterns of alternate dimensions and realities."

"Alternate dimensions?" April breathed. "So you're saying that...Shadow's in another dimension?"

"I'm certain of it," Gaia confirmed. "I don't know where exactly, but there's no doubt in my mind that she's alive."

"She's right, April."

Everyone turned to the door at that familiar voice and a disguised figure in a trench coat and wearing a fedora hat was standing there. He removed his dark sunglasses and scarf to reveal his green face and red mask.

"Raph!" Casey instantly to his friend and grabbed him in a tight bear hug. "Thank God you're okay!"

"Hey, Case," Raph grunted as the human squeezed even harder and patted him on the back. "Can't breathe here, man." Once Casey let go of him, he walked over to the bed and leaned down to hug April, being careful not to break the already fragile woman. "April, I'm so sorry that this happened to you," he whispered shakily.

She responded by wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'll survive, but, listen, Raph..." She pulled away and looked up at him pleadingly. "...you just said that Shadow's still alive. How do you know for sure that she is?"

The corners of Raph's mouth lifted into a grin. "Because Mikey told me."

* * *

 _ **In the alternate timeline...**_

"Hey!" Shadow called out to Mikey and Donnie from the back of Chompy's shell. "How much longer until we get to TCRI?"

"A long ways!" Donnie shouted back. "We should get there by dark!"

She groaned and leaned back against the luggage. They had been traveling across the desert wastelands for over three hours. The sun was beating down on her and her phone was almost out of power, which meant no more tunes to entertain herself with. Worst road trip ever.

The driver of the space turtle, Mikey, noticed some dust building up in the far distance ahead of them. "Uh-oh, guys, looks like a sandstorm is heading this way."

Donnie used his scanner to see if a sandstorm was indeed coming, but through his enhanced vision, he could see a group of monster trucks heading straight toward them. "Uh-oh."

Shadow peeked up from behind Mikey and Donnie's seat. "What? What's going on?"

"We've got company," the robot Turtle pointed to the distance.

"Really?" Mikey stood up a bit and squinted his eyes. He could barely make out the monster trucks. "Huh. Maybe they're friendly."

"I...wouldn't wait to find out, Mikey," Donnie nervously said. "We should to turn back."

"No way, D," Mikey shook his head. "We've come too far to turn back now. We'll just drive right past them. They might ignore us and continue on their way."

Donnie sighed. "Let's hope you're right, Mikey."

They continued to ride straight forward and the monster trucks honked as they got closer, whether to greet them or scare them away, no one knew. As they passed by the vehicles, they caught a glimpse of the drivers. All of them were mutants, of course, but they each shared one common trait: blonde hair, whether it be short or long.

As Mikey predicted, they continued on their way and he gave Donnie a smug grin. "See? What'd I tell you?"

"Uh, guys?" Shadow gulped. "They're turning around."

The trucks made a complete U-turn and sped after them, blaring their horns again.

"Ohhhh, boy," Mikey mumbled. He handed the reins to Donnie and hopped onto the back of the saddle. "Shadow, cover yourself with this." He quickly took off his poncho and draped it over Shadow's head.

"Yuck!" she gagged at the smell. "When was the last time you washed this thing?"

Mikey gently pushed her down. "Stay low," he instructed her. He then jumped back onto the front seat and pulled on the reins. Chompy started to slow down to a complete stop and the trucks were gaining up on them.

"Mikey, what are you doing?!" Donnie shouted.

"We don't want to provoke them, bro," Mikey calmly told him. "Not while Shadow is on board. We'll just smooth talk our way out of this."

"Smooth talking _never_ works!" Donnie slapped him on the side of the head. "You're gonna get us all killed!"

The monster trucks circled around Chompy, which made the space turtle a bit nervous and he made a whimpering sound. After a few moments of circling, they came to a screeching halt and one of the mutants, an armadillo with a blonde Mohawk, peeked his head out through the driver's window.

"Nice ride!" he chuckled as he eyed Chompy, obviously being sarcastic. The others laughed at his remark. "Where you pilgrims headin'?"

"The ruins of New York!" Mikey answered with a forced friendly smile.

The armadillo raised an eye ridge. "The ruins of New York?" he snorted. "There ain't nothin' there! C'mon, where you _really_ headin'?"

"I'm telling you, that's where we're going!" Mikey said. "For what reasons, that's our business!"

"Listen, we don't want any trouble!" Donnie joined in. "Just let us pass and we'll be on our way!"

The armadillo nodded with a grunt. "Yeah, we got more important things to do anyway. Good luck on your-" He paused and pointed his nose in the air, sniffing. "Wait a minute." He looked at the travelers suspiciously as he tracked the familiar scent to their luggage on the back of Chompy's shell. The others joined in and poked their heads out of their windows, sniffing the air.

Mikey glanced over at Donnie nervously and slowly reached for the reins.

"I smell..." the armadillo's eyes widened as he recognized the scent. "...human! They have human meat in their bags!"

The group immediately burst into an uproar and pulled out their weapons. "Get their meat!" a mutant cat with shoulder-length blonde hair shouted.

Under Mikey's poncho, Shadow whimpered fearfully. Definitely the worst road trip ever.

"CHOMPY, HIYA!" Mikey screamed, and Chompy charged forward, ramming through a few monster trucks.

The others pursued after the space turtle at full speed. No matter how fast Chompy ran, they still caught up with him and had him surrounded. Two trucks sped up in front of Chompy and drove side by side, and the mutants in the back trunk of one vehicle tossed some wires to the mutants in the other. The trucks then pulled away and in the process stretched out the wires. Before he could stop himself, Chompy ran straight into the wires and tripped over them.

The giant space turtle fell on his face and the passengers and all their luggage were all flung off his shell. Shadow landed roughly on the ground, now exposed without the poncho. The mutants pulled their trucks over and gasped at the sight of the human.

"It can't be," the armadillo quietly said in awe. "A pure human?"

Although they were still recovering from the fall, both Mikey and Donnie ran to Shadow's side and formed a protective wall around her. Chompy started to get up and come to their aid, but some of the mutants quickly tied him down with more wires, making him immobile. The others hopped out of their trucks with their weapons drawn out. The armadillo had a pair of flails, each of which had three chains with spiked balls at the end. He took a step forward and swung his chains.

"Give us the human and we'll let you two go," he threatened Turtles, eyes locked on Shadow.

Mikey drew out his nunchucks and charged at the armadillo, and the two engaged in battle. Some of the other mutants joined in on the fight, trying to ambush Mikey, but the Turtle was about to fend them off and dodge their attacks.

A small group came after Donnie and Shadow, and the robot Turtle activated his electric prods before combining them into a staff. One by one, the mutants were taken down, and Donnie was starting to get a little cocky, lazily resting his staff on his shoulder. "Any one else want a try?" he smugly asked the ones who remained standing. He never noticed the burly silver-white baboon sneak up behind him and swing his chained steel baseball bat.

In one strong swing, Donnie's head was knocked off his body, and it rolled to Shadow's feet. The teen screamed in horror and toppled backwards. The baboon screeched in triumph and kicked the robot's headless body to the ground.

Mikey heard Shadow's screams and turned to see his brother's severed head lying on the ground. "DONNIE!"

Seeing that Mikey was now distracted, the armadillo used the opportunity to knock him on the side of the head with a flail. The Turtle fell to the floor unconscious, the side of his left temple bleeding from the blow. Grunting in triumph, the armadillo walked over to Shadow and grabbed her by the arm.

"You're comin' with us, human," he gruffly told her.

Shadow knew that she was screwed, but she refused to let her fear show and started to bluff. "You'll all be sorry!" she yelled as she struggled to get away. "Those guys are Maximus Kong's brothers! You do know who Maximus Kong is, don't you? When he finds out about this, you're as good as dead!"

She expected the mutants to start quivering in fear at the mention of the former desert warlord's name, but instead, they started to chuckle.

The armadillo laughed before he started to mock her. "Oh, no! Not Maximus Kong! Whatever will we do?! Who will be protect us from his terrible wrath?! Oh, that's right...our king Dominan Pride will!"

"YEAH, DOMINAN PRIDE!" The other mutants pumped their fists in the air and cheered.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Dominan Pride?"

* * *

Mikey and Shadow were now tied up together in the back of a monster truck, the head and body of Donnie at their feet.

"Ugh...my head," Mikey groaned, his left temple still bleeding.

"So much for finding TCRI," Shadow mumbled. "You know, I'm am _so_ sick of being kidnapped and tied up like some damsel in distress."

The elder Turtle snorted weakly. "Please, you know how many times _I've_ been tied up? A ton."

"Wow, that's sad," Shadow deadpanned. She looked up and could see a great canyon ahead of them and they were approaching an iron yett front gate. The bars slowly lifted with a loud rumbling as they approached, and inside was a great city of rock-cut architecture. In the center of the city was a ziggurat temple that had two giant stone lions guarding the front entrance.

"Oh, man," Mikey whispered as he looked around in awe. "If only Donnie could see this."

The armadillo looked directly at the prisoners through the back window of the truck, smiling sadistically as he pointed to the temple. "Prepare yourselves. You're about to meet the great Dominan Pride."

Shadow glared at him. "Looking forward to it."

...

Two guards pushed the doors open and roughly shoved Mikey and Shadow into the throne room. The king, himself, had his back to them, for he sat in a large tub that was set on a raised marble platform and was being attended to by his maidservants. He had long sandy blonde hair, silver-white fur, and massive paws. His back was adorned with what appeared to be deep battle scars.

The armadillo walked toward the platform and knelt on one knee, lifting his hands out in front of him palms up. "Hail Dominan Pride!" he said aloud.

The king did not turn his head but grunted in response. "Why do you disturb me?" he gruffly said in a raspy voice.

"F-Forgive me for disturbing you, Pride," the armadillo nervously apologized, "but we bring you a gift: a living pure human!"

At this, the king visibly twitched and paused before motioning with his hand to come forward. "Bring it to me."

With her arms chained to her sides, Shadow could not resist against the armadillo, who grabbed her and forced her up the stairs leading to the top of the platform. As she was being brought forward, the king stood up from his tub and stretched his arms out to his sides as one maid dried him with a towel while another covered him with a white silk robe. He slowly stepped out of the tub and turned to face Shadow.

Shadow almost screamed at the sight of him but quickly (and wisely) clamped her mouth shut.

The king was revealed to be a white lion, but his entire nose was missing, like it had been ripped off from his face along with his upper lip, revealing his upper teeth. Another maidservant hurried over with an iron dog muzzle, strapping it over his face and covering the horrendous scar. He stepped forward and toward over her, his height being the same as Raph's, only a few inches taller.

"Did my appearance startle you?" he asked Shadow, who quickly shook her head in an attempt not to make him mad. "Well, you have Maximus Kong to thank for that. He may had taken my nose, but he could not take my life. Nothing can kill me." He cupped her chin and leaned down to study her with his red eyes. "Hmmm...this is undoubtedly a pure human." He let go of her and faced the crowd in the room. "The Almighty Emperor has answered my prayers at last!" he announced with his fists raised.

The crowd cheered loudly at this, bowing to their king.

Shadow looked up at him confused. "Wait. What does this mean exactly?"

He turned back to her and lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile. "For years, I have prayed to the Emperor, asking him to send me a pure human...so that I may consume its flesh and obtain immortality."

The teen paused, her eyes wide before she shouted, "WHAT?! That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!"

"Um, excuse me?" Mikey called out from downstairs. "Mr. Pride? Hi, the Holy Chalupa at your service," he did a quick bow before clearing his throat. "Look, uh, I dunno where you heard such a ridiculous idea. But trust me, eating her won't make you immortal. Inside she's just like any other human being."

"Yeah, yeah listen to him," Shadow nodded frantically. "Please."

Pride narrowed his eyes at both the Turtle and the human girl, seemingly thinking it over, before he waved a dismissal hand. "Bah! Don't think you can fool me. Take her to the human stable," he ordered the armadillo, who bowed and dragged Shadow downstairs. She struggled to break free from his grasp as she was being led out of the throne room.

"And as for _you_ ," Pride pointed to Mikey, "you will join me for dinner tonight."

Mikey gulped. He did _not_ like the sound of that.

* * *

"Oof!"

Shadow was thrown into a stall and landed face-first on the floor, which was thankfully covered with straw and cushioned her fall. The armadillo shut the barred gate behind her and locked it before leaving.

"Yeaugh! Pfft!" She spat out some straw and wiped her mouth. Sighing heavily, she leaned back against a wall and hugged her knees. "Just when I thought things can't get worse..."

From the corner of her eye, she noticed something moving around in the stall directly across from her. Another human perhaps? Crawling over to the gate, she gripped the bars and called out to the figure. "Hey! Hey, buddy! Hey!"

The creature made a deep guttural sound as it crawled toward the gate of its stall and came into the light. To Shadow's shock and horror, it was a heavily mutated and disfigured human that had bulging bloodshot eyes and glowing green veins. Its body structure was similar to that of chewed up bubblegum, and Shadow was beginning to see why the mutated humans were called "Gum people".

Suddenly a screeching sound filled the room as a mutant coyote dragged a gum person down the hall by the leash. The poor pitiful creature clawed at the floor as it was being dragged to the exit, choking as it struggled against its captor. A pig marched up to it and shocked it with a cattle prod, forcing it to keeping moving.

"Get going, you ugly mother!" he shouted angrily. "We mustn't keep Dominan Pride hungry and waiting!" The coyote chuckled cruelly and continued to pull on the leash.

Shadow instantly backed away from the gate and covered her mouth with her hand, tears building up in her eyes as she watched the gum person being dragged to its demise. It wouldn't be long before they'd come for her.

She hugged her legs and buried her face in her knees. "I wanna go home," she whimpered, missing her family and friends back in her dimension.

* * *

Later that night, in the dining hall, Mikey was being served roasted human that had been glazed in honey-butter, which he refused to eat. Pride sat next to him at the table and devoured his meat (having already taken off his muzzle of course). He'd occasionally glance over at Mikey and couldn't comprehend why someone as skinny as he was would refuse to eat a free meal.

He stopped eating for a moment and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Please, eat," he softly told Mikey. "You must be starving."

Mikey stubbornly crossed his arms and looked away. "No way. I don't eat humans, and I'm not gonna fatten myself up for you. I hope you choke on me."

Pride stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before he threw back his head and laughed, causing Mikey to look at him in confusion. "You-You think I want to eat you? Nonsense!"

"So...you're not gonna eat me?" Mikey asked.

"Of course, not!"

"Then what do you want with me?"

In response, Pride reached for his hand and gingerly held it, looking at him with lustful red eyes. "Only to make you my new helpmate," he purred.

"Helpmate?" Mikey tilted his head, before his eyes bugged out in surprise and he nearly fell off his chair as he backed away from the lion. "WHAT?! _YUCK!_ NO WAY, DUDE!"

The lion lowered his brow and frowned. "You have no other choice, Chalupa," he growled. "Besides, you'll come to love your new life, as your five predecessors did."

Mikey raised an eye ridge. "Five predecessors? You mean you've been married five times?"

Pride nodded. "Yes, I've had five husbands."

"Well...what happened to them?" Mikey nervously asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

The king sneered, his scared upper lip making him appear even more sinister. "They all disappointed me. So you'd better pray that you'll satisfy me...or else you'll serve as a new decoration for my private garden."

Mikey slowly sank his head back into his shell as the ruler of the canyon city ominously loomed over him. Did he really have a choice?

 **Boy! Bet you weren't expecting THAT, huh?! o_o**


	34. The Return Of Maximus Kong

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 ** _In the alternate timeline, back at the camp..._**

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Inside the hut, the computer suddenly started to beep loudly. ICK, who happened to be on the desk, pressed a button on the keyboard which activated the security cameras that were placed in several parts of the Oasis. One of them showed a small group of mutants, approximately seven to eight of them, marching through the woods. ICK could clearly large guns in their hands and immediately reached for the microphone that was set next to the computer.

...

Raph woke up in his tent to the sound of ICK mewing through the speakers, which could only mean an emergency. He instantly ran out of his tent and into the hut. "What is it, Kitty?" he urgently asked the dairy mutant cat, who mewed and pointed to the computer screen. He leaned in close and saw the approaching mutants. He instantly recognized them as the Hook gang.

Mira, who had just woken up as well, stepped into the hut. "What is it?"

Raph scowled at the screen and pointed to one of the videos. "We've got company."

...

A bull frog member of the gang caught a flying insect with his long tongue, savoring its juicy taste. "Hey," he turned to his skunk companion who was leading the way, "what do we do if we run into that Red Stripe Turtle?"

The skunk with the Mohawk cocked his gun in response. "What do ya think?" he growled. "We blast him and his gang. He's gonna pay for wrecking my ride." Several of the mutants behind him murmured in agreement.

Then their ears perked up at the sound of something moving around in the trees above them and immediately pointed their guns to the sky. While their attention was averted, Raph suddenly barreled through the bushes, roaring as he did. He knocked down a few mutants with punches and kicks and flipped a few onto their backs in a matter of seconds.

As the remaining three aimed their guns at the raging Turtle, Mira dropped down from the trees and pounced on one of them, the scorpion from yesterday, attacking his face viciously. The other two, the frog and a green gecko, moved in to help their companion and fired at the meerkat. But she was able to jump off the scorpion's face just as the blasts hit him on both sides, instantly killing him. She leapt onto the frog's head and reached for the gun on his hand, forcing him to shoot at the gecko. As the frog struggled and writhed to get her off, Raph crept up behind him and knocked him out with a single blow to the head, with Mira jumping off in time.

As the two stood in the midst of the fallen mutants, they remained on their guard, glancing about them.

"That was too easy," Mira whispered to Raph, who nodded with a grunt.

"Yeah, I know," he whispered back. "There should've been more. A lot more."

"You are correct," a thick Brazilian voice suddenly echoed in the woods.

On cue, the whirring and cocking of guns filled their ears and more mutants stepped out of the bushes, completely surrounding them. Knowing they were outnumbered, Raph groaned and put his hands in the air in surrender. Mira followed suit and slowly raised her own hands.

Their leader Fishface stepped into view, smirking at Raph and twirling his knife in a playful manner. "Long time, no see, Raphael."

Raph glared at his old archenemy. "Yeah, not long enough," he muttered.

Mira looked over at Raph in surprise. "You know this person?"

"Unfortunately," Raph said, his eyes still locked on the fish mutant. "That's Fishface, an old adversary of mine. He's basically a fish stick with legs."

Fishface snarled at the Turtle. "Cute. Now that we got the formalities out of the way, let's get down to business. I believe you have something of ours? A human girl, perhaps?"

"Yeah, well, you're too late," Raph said. "She packed up and left this morning. She should be halfway across the desert by now. Looks like you made the trip for nothing..." he smiled as he remembered the name Shadow gave the fish mutant. "... _Fishdick_."

"Is that right?" Fishface chuckled, which confused Raph. "You know, the Emperor, himself, is offering a handsome reward for her capture: $1 million. Lead us to her, and we'll split the money 50/50."

Mira looked at Raph, hoping that the old Turtle wouldn't give in to the temptation.

To her relief, he only snorted. "Really? Okay, first of all, I know better than to trust you to keep your promises without stabbing me in the back. Second, I don't sell out my friends, not for all the money in the world."

Fishface harrumphed and glanced at Mira, smiling sadistically. "What about your young friend there? Don't you care about _her_ safety?" At the snap of his fingers, the mutants raised their guns again and aimed at the duo.

Raph instinctively shielded Mira with his arm, even though he realized that it was futile.

"Tell us where the pure human is," Fishface gestured to Mira, "and we'll spare the mongoose."

"Meerkat," Mira harshly corrected him.

Raph cursed under his breath. He didn't want to betray Shadow, even though he wasn't particularly fond of her in the first place. But at the same time, he wanted to protect Mira, whom he loved like a daughter.

Then, as he eyed the mutants that surrounded him, he got an idea.

"You know it doesn't surprise me," Raph remarked with a smirk.

Fishface raised an eye ridge. "What doesn't?"

"That you would stoop so low as to sell out the very last of your kind for money."

At this, the other mutants murmured in question and looked at their leader, whose face blanched.

"Boss," Orca, the mutant killer whale stepped forward, "what'd he mean by that?"

"Nothing," Fishface snapped. "He's talking nonsense."

"Guess your boss isn't being completely honest with you," Raph sarcastically said. "Did he ever mention that he was once a human named Xever Montes?"

The mutants gasped and some of them even began to snarl at the fish, especially Orca.

Fishface was starting to lose his cool. "Don't...listen to him! He's trying to turn you all against me!"

"And then one day he got drenched in mutagen," Raph continued, "and he became the ugly guppy you know and love today."

"ENOUGH!" Fishface yelled angrily. He turned to his men behind him. "Kill them both! _Now!_ "

But the mutants didn't lift a finger and only glared at him. Raph could sense a mutiny about to take place.

And so did Fishface, yet he continued to bark orders at his men. "Well?! What are you all waiting for?! Do it!"

Orca growled and tossed his gun aside before he marched up to the smaller mutant. "You said you were a fish that lived in a tank at Sea World!" he accused. "What else did you lie to us about... _boss?_ "

Fishface fearfully backed up a bit. He could feel the dagger stares of the other mutants around him. "That...that doesn't matter! What matters is that I am your leader! I formed this team! Without me, you'd be nothing! You _need_ me!"

"No," Orca sneered, threateningly looming over him. "What we need is a new leader. A _real_ mutant, not some half-human freak. In fact..." The corners of his mouth lifted into a predatory smile and drool started to drip down his chin. "...I wonder what human-fish tastes like?"

Immediately Fishface pointed his knife at the killer whale. "Back! Do not touch me or I'll cut your throat!" He turned to his other crew members. "Help me! Protect your leader!"

But to his horror, the other mutants' mouths were drooling as well and they looked at him with hungry eyes.

"You ain't our leader," the skunk said as he pulled out a knife. "You're our snack."

Before Fishface could protest or scream, Orca clamped his jaws down on his neck, and yellowish blood squirted out as the fish mutant let out a strangled gasp. Then Orca grabbed Fishdace's tail and easily ripped his lower torso off. Guts and organs dropped down on the ground as the mutants scrambled and even fought each other for their meal.

Mira stood where she was, frozen and absolutely horrified, so Raph grabbed her by the arm and roughly dragged her with him as he ran.

Orca peeked his head above the group and saw the Turtle and meerkat running away. He spat out a piece of meat and pointed to them. "There they go! Don't let 'em get away!"

...

Raph and Mira ran as fast as they could to the camp. Behind them they could hear the mob shouting and chasing after them.

"KITTY!" Raph screamed to the cameras that were hidden in the trees. "GET OUR GUNS READY!" He hoped that cat heard him back in the hut and would have their weapons laid out for them by the time they arrived. But even with their weapons, considering the odds, chances for victory were slim. Red Stripe never ran from a fight, though.

Just then a large shadowy figure stepped out from behind a tree in front of them and they immediately stopped running, preparing to defend themselves. But to their relief, it was only Leo.

"Leo!" Raph smiled as he ran to his brother. "Man, am I glad to see you! There's a whole gang of-!"

Suddenly Leo pulled out a long rod from behind his shell and shocked Raph with it. Raph screamed as his body lit up with electricity before he dropped to the ground, unconscious and smoking.

Mira gasped and stared up at Leo stunned. She knew she couldn't turn back since the Hooks were chasing after her, so she just stood there, not knowing what to do at that point.

With a monotonous expression on his face, Leo zapped Mira as well, and the meerkat fell to the ground next to Raph.

The roaring mutant crowd came to a halt when they saw the legendary desert warlord standing over Raph and Mira. "Maximus Kong...?" the skunk whispered in awe and fear.

The larger Turtle scowled and stepped over his brother, stomping slowly and ominously toward the gang. He spoke in his low, gruff Kong voice," That's right, I am Maximus Kong. And I appoint myself as your new leader."

"What?!" Orca growled. "No way! I'm the leader! I killed the traitor myself so I earned my place as...the..." He trailed off as Leo stood over him. The Turtle was about a few feet taller than him and more heavily built. It was obvious who the Alpha of the two were.

"Do you wish to challenge me for the position?" Leo snarled.

Orca gulped and slowly backed away from him. "N-No. You're the boss."

Leo turned to the others. "How about the rest of you? Any objections?"

They all shook their heads.

* * *

"Hey. Hey, wake up."

Shadow opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head from the hay, groggily looking at a blurry figure over her. "Huh...?" She rubbed her eyes and her sight cleared up.

A mutant meerkat with a red Mohawk and spiked pad on his left shoulder knelt down to her level. He had piercing grey eyes, like Mira's, and a scar that ran across his left cheek. "I can get you out of here."

Shadow blinked a few times. "Huh?"

"You don't want to be eaten, right?" he said softly. "Well, I can help you."

The teen was even more confused. "So wait, you're willing to betray your king by helping me escape? Why?"

The meerkat's lips curled into a snarl. "He is _not_ my king," he sternly said. "And he never will be. I have my own reasons for helping you and let's leave it at that. Now do you want to get out of here or no?"

Shadow looked up at him skeptically. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

He only tossed her a bundle of clothes. "You'll need to change into these. Also, and you might not like the idea, but we have to cut your hair."

Shadow paused before taking the leather jacket that was on top of the bundle. She flipped it over and embroidered on the back was a skull with angel wings sprouting out from both sides. Then she ran her fingers over a strand of her hair.

"Just how short does it have to be?"

* * *

"You call this a garden? More like a graveyard!"

Dominan Pride was giving Mikey a tour of his temple. The Turtle had been stripped of his poncho and now wore a simple white tunic. They were now exploring Pride's private garden, which was indeed like a graveyard.

There was no green at all, only dried up bushes, which was adorned with skulls of all shapes and sizes. Skeletons hung from X-shaped crosses, and even more skeletons hung like Christmas lights along the walls that surrounded the garden. There must've been over a hundred of them. Maybe even a thousand.

Pride smiled proudly at his work. "Magnificent, isn't it? These are the remains of those who had dared to defy Dominan Pride. Of course, I had slayed thousands more over the years, but these are my personal favorites, my trophies."

Mikey gulped as he looked around, accidentally stepping on a skull as he did. He yelped and nearly tumbled backwards. "S-Sorry," he whispered to what was left of the skull.

"If your brother Maximus Kong ever had a superior," Pride picked up a skull from the ground and clutched it in his paw, "it'd be me. Let it be said that Maximus Kong has slain his thousands, and Dominan Pride his tens of thousands." He completely crushed the skull with one squeeze.

"Well, I guess there's not much competition anymore," Mikey mumbled.

Pride turned to him. "Why is that?"

"'Cause he's a officially retired. He's done with the whole desert warlord thing, so congratulations, you're top dog now. Whoopdie-dingle-doo," he muttered the last part sarcastically.

"Really?" Pride said, pleasantly surprised. "First the Emperor blesses me with a pure human, and now Maximus Kong steps down as warlord. I am truly favored by the gods." He slowly walked up to Mikey and cupped his chin, purring deep in his throat. "And tomorrow night, after our wedding, I will dine on the pure human's flesh and achieve immortality. You will be married to a god."

"Gee, I'm jittering with excitement," Mikey deadpanned.

"And remember, if you oppose me in any way or don't bring me enough satisfaction..." Pride forced Mikey to turn his head and look at a small tree to which five skeletons were crucified to. They all wore dirty, tattered white tunics. "...you will join your predecessors on the Tree of Husbands."

Mikey gulped. "Duly noted."

* * *

Shadow walked down the streets of the canyon city in her new clothes, with the meerkat guiding the way. Her long blond hair was now reduced to a pixie haircut and her mouth was covered with a red patterned handkerchief. She wore a black tank top, grey torn jeans, and the leather jacket with the winged skull embroidered on the back. None of the mutants noticed her or paid much attention to her as they passed by, which meant that the disguise was working.

"By the way," the meerkat looked back at her with a friendly smile, "my name is Kal."

"I'm Shadow," the teen pointed to herself. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Are you in any way related to Mira?"

Kal stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her in shock. "Mira?" He quickly pulled her into an alley, where they were alone. "Mira's alive?"

"So you do know her?"

"Mira's my little sister."

Shadow's jaw dropped behind her handkerchief. "No way! For real?!"

Kal nodded eagerly. "I thought she perished when Dominan Pride destroyed our village."

"No, she's very much alive," Shadow assured. "She lives in the Oasis with some friends."

Kal's grey eyes welled up with tears. "So she made it. She found the green place. Thank God."

"I can take you to her. After we get out of here and find the TCRI building, we'll head back to the Oasis together."

Kal smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you."

They stepped out of the alley and Shadow noticed an obese badger in the midst of the crowd carrying a rather familiar-looking robot in his arms.

"Oh, my gosh! Donnie!" She pushed past the crowd to get to the badger. "Hey! Hey, mister!"

The badger stopped walking and turned to her. "Eh?"

"Sir, that robot belongs to me," Shadow held her hands out. "I need it back."

He scowled at her and back away, clutching the robot closer to him. "No way," he gruffly said. "I bought this thing fair and square. If you want it, you'll need to buy it from me, twice the price I paid for it."

Shadow was about to curse at him when Kal walked up to them and pulled out his wallet.

"Very well," he said. "How much do you want for it?"

The badger's brown eyes bugged out at the sight of the meerkat. "Holy...You're Kal the Killer!" He smiled widely and chuckled. "I'm a huge fan! Here! Take the robot! No charge!" He handed Donnie's head and body to Shadow, who was pleasantly confused.

"Thank you," Kal said with a nod. "You're too kind."

"Big fan!" the badger waved as he continued on his way.

Shadow looked over at Kal. "'Kal the Killer'?"

Kal smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Did I not mention that I'm a well known gladiator here?"

...

"How long will it take for you to repair him?" Shadow asked the mole technician, who ran his own robotics repair shop.

The mutant squinted his tiny eyes and his long nose twitched as he observed the robot head in his hands. "Hmmm...I'd say...three hours at most."

"That's not bad," Kal turned to Shadow. "In the meantime, you could watch me battle in the Death Dome tonight."

Shadow was a bit disturbed by how nonchalant Kal was acting. "You don't seem too worried about fighting for your life."

"I never lose," Kal said with a smug grin.

Well, she had to give him props for being so confident.

* * *

Raph groaned as he finally came to. His vision blurred for a moment before it cleared up and he realized that he was inside a tank vehicle of some sort, surrounded by members of the Hook gang, who sneered at him and chuckled darkly.

He tried to move, but he couldn't. He looked down to find that he had been heavily chained to a metal chair.

"Raphael!"

Raph turned his head as much he could, and he was shocked to see Mira chained to a chair, too. "Mira! You okay, kid?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I'm okay."

"You won't be for long," the skunk driver laughed. "Neither one of you will be. After we find the human and deliver her to the Emperor, Maximus Kong will rip you both to bits and use your bones as toothpicks."

"Maximus...?" Raph's eyes slowly widened as he remembered what took place back in the Oasis. "Leo! Where is he?!"

"The name...is Maximus Kong."

Raph turned to his left, and Leo was leaning against the wall, staring at him with cold eyes. "Leo? What's going on?!"

"We are going after the human girl," the older, larger Turtle declared in his deep voice. "And my new crew and I will claim the reward for her capture."

"What?!" Raph yelled. "Are you crazy?! Leo, come on! Snap out of it!" As he pleaded, Leo stomped over to him. "It's me, Raph! Your brother! You gotta-!"

" _Silence!_ "

Leo suddenly backhanded him with great force. Raph's head snapped to the side and he spat out blood. The mutants cheered and laughed at the cruel treatment the smaller Turtle was receiving from his own brother.

Leaning down, Leo snarled as he roughly grabbed Raph by the chin. "And I'll find much pleasure in making you and your family suffer."

Tears welled up in Raph's emerald eyes. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

 **Maximus Kong has returned! Or has he...? 0.0**


	35. Like A Married Couple

**Special thanks to BrightLotusMoon for helping me with this chapter! :) Also, a special thanks to guest Akimii for being my "very loyal fan" and to both her and Starfire201 for leaving a review for my newest fic "Savin' The Galaxy", which is a crossover between TMNT and GOTG! Please check it out! And thank you to ALL reviewers!**

 **Note: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 **Warning: Adult theme included.**

 _ **In the prime timeline...**_

"Waiter! Another round!"

Kraang Subprime, formally known as Knight, made his Irma-robot slam its fist on the table in a drunken manner. After his last humiliating defeat at the hands of the Mutanimals, he had spent the last fifteen years drinking his life away. Once a feared and proud warlord, he had been reduced to a miserable, bitter drunkard. His favorite place to visit was the Nebula Hub on planet Kanasa.

He was too busy drinking another glass to notice the Shredder, himself, approaching his table. He hiccuped once and slowly looked up at the armored figure. "Yeah...?" he slurred. "What do you want?"

The Shredder took a seat directly across from where Subprime sat, folding his hands on the table in a casual manner. "Kraang Subprime, I presume?"

"Who wants to know?" the Utrom snapped.

"You once worked with a ninja master known as the Shredder back on planet Earth," Shredder said. "Well, I am his successor, and the Foot requires your services once again. I have traveled throughout the galaxy searching for you."

Subprime guzzled down the remainder of his alcoholic beverage and burped. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," Shredder nodded. "What I require from you, my friend, is a Mutagen Bomb."

The Utrom paused before he narrowed his green eyes suspiciously and slowly set his glass down on the table. "Why do _you_ want a Mutagen Bomb?"

"I wish to cleanse the Earth of all human filth," Shredder explained. "And I will transform it into a world where mutants are the dominant species. A world over which I will appoint myself as supreme ruler."

"HA!" The drunk Utrom threw his empty glass to the floor, shattering it. "Well, good luck because I'm done with that business! I've been humiliated by those mutant rebels for the last time! Save yourself the trouble, buddy, and scrap this project of yours. Don't make the same mistakes I did."

Shredder narrowed his glowing red eyes. "Well, _my_ plan will not fail. I conquered hundreds of worlds throughout the years, and this one will be no exception. But I need your help, Subprime. I need you to create my weapon of mass destruction."

Subprime growled. "Are you deaf or something? I already told you! I'm done! Retired! Get it?"

"I heard you clearly," Shredder calmly said. "But this is your chance to redeem yourself and get back at your enemies for humiliating you so."

"Hmmmm..." Subprime rubbed his chin with his long tentacle. "Tempting offer, but...NO! I'm not gonna say it again! Now beat it, buckethead!"

Having finally lost his patience with the Utrom, the Shredder sighed and stood up from his seat, walking around the table and toward Subprime. "You know, Knight, I never liked you. In fact, no one in the Utrom council ever did. After all, you were always a coward, and your voice irritated us."

Subprime's eyes widened. How could he had known about...? "What did you call me?"

Suddenly the armor that covered Shredder's lower abdomen stared to unfold down the middle, and to Subprime's utter shock, there was another Utrom inside. He had a large burn mark that covered his left eye.

Subprime instantly recognized him and the shock turned into horror. It couldn't be. Bishop killed him thousands of years ago...or so they thought.

"Ch'rell...?" he gasped, before he bolted for the exit. But with his incredible reflex, the Shredder ripped him out of his robot body before he could get away.

Snarling, he brought Subprime closer to his face, painfully holding him by the head. "You know, it's because of losers like you that our kind is now the laughingstock of the universe," he spoke in both his real and mechanical voice at the same time. He dug his metallic fingers into the soft pink flesh, earning a cry from the other Utrom. "But not anymore."

* * *

Sitting on a worn couch, Mona Lisa watched a program on the small television in front of her when Mondo Gecko approached with two cups of coffee in his hands.

"Here," he offered her a cup. "This'll warm you up."

The Salamandrian smiled weakly and accepted the drink. "Thank you."

For the past couple of days she had been living with the Mutanimals in an abandoned warehouse not too far from the lair. She wanted more than anything to be with Raph while he was in the coma, but she was also scared that he would hate her once he woke up since the person who killed Shadow was a member of her own species. Not to mention that she slept with that Salamandrian for thirty years, even though it was by force.

She wasn't aware that Raph was coming over for a visit, and the Turtle secretly watched her drink her coffee from the kitchen. Dr. Rockwell walked up to him and offered him a cup.

"Thanks," Raph took the cup and took a sip. "So how has she been doing?"

The genius chimp sighed. "Well, she's been through a lot of trauma, as you already know. She keeps having nightmares, and I've done everything I could to help her sleep better. But nothing's working."

Raph could see the dark circles under Mona's eyes, even from afar, and it broke his heart. He sucked in a deep breathe and exhaled shakily. "Yeah. Does she...think I blame her for what happened to Shadow?"

Rockwell somberly nodded. "We keep insisting that she has nothing to fear, but she just can't bring herself to face you."

The Turtle sighed and nodded before he handed the cup back to Rockwell. "I'd better go talk to her."

The chimp started to babble and stopped the Turtle by grabbing his arm. "I, uh, I'm not sure if that's the best thing for her right now. Maybe you should wait until-"

Raph gently pulled his arm away. "Doc, it's alright."

When Mona heard footsteps approach her, she turned her head and dropped her cup at the sight of Raphael. She wanted to run, but she found herself glued to the couch.

He smiled safely at her as he sat down on the couch, gently taking her hand into his. "Hey, Mona," he softly said.

Her golden eyes shined with tears and she looked away in shame. There was so much gentleness and love in his eye that it nearly broke her. She didn't deserve someone as amazing as he was.

She felt a hand touch her chin and her head was gently forced to look at him. "It wasn't your fault, Mona," he said to her. "It was Newtralizer's. And it doesn't matter if he was a Salamandrian. You had nothing to do with what happened to Shadow." He cupped her cheeks and very gently rubbed his thumbs over the dark circles. "And I hate that you're not getting enough sleep, Mona. You can't keep killing yourself with insomnia. Please don't do that. Please?" His voice cracked slightly with emotion.

Hearing him softly plead to her finally broke the dam that held back the tears and she sobbed openly, embracing him and burying her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and slowly rocked her back and forth, gently shushing her.

From the kitchen, the rest of Mutanimals watched silently as Raph comforted Mona. Mondo and Pete started to cry, and Slash, himself, became teary-eyed at the moving scene. He smiled, happy that his friend was reunited with the woman he loved.

* * *

Donnie sighed and churred as she rubbed her hands all over his plastron, her energy tingling throughout his entire body. Straddling him like a cowgirl, Gaia leaned down and started to kiss him from the neck to the underside of his chin, making him gasp softly.

"Oh, yes...Gaia...!"

He reached up to caress her thighs, but to his confusion, he felt soft fur. And then something bit his finger. "OW!"

He woke up and jolted upright to find Celeste standing at the end of the bed. The cat flattened her ears and let out a nasty hiss.

"Oh, Celeste," Donnie groaned as he sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes. He dragged himself out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where Gaia was standing at the sink and washing dishes in her white silk robe. She was still exhausted from healing Raph so they couldn't cuddle physically. But she did make love to him mentally, which was just as wonderful and exciting. He crept up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist.

She smiled and stopped washing to turn her head toward him and kiss lightly him on the lips. "And how was your astral sex?"

"Well, it was going fine until your cat ruined it," he mumbled as he buried his face on her shoulder.

Gaia chuckled and reached to grasp his hands on her stomach. "Sorry. You know her. She loves to sleep on top of people."

"Yeah, but she won't let me sleep on top of you," Donnie muttered, causing Gaia to laugh.

They just held and kiss each other for the longest time in the kitchen, with Donnie slowly rocking her side to side in a movement similar to a dance. After planting one more kiss on her exposed shoulder, he whispered lovingly in her ear:

"Will you marry me?"

This caught Gaia by surprise and she quickly pulled away from his embrace to turn and fully face him. "...What?"

Donnie expected her to act so surprised and repeated the question with a smile. "I said, will you marry me?"

"I...I heard you the first time, Donnie," Gaia softly assured him before she walked to the table, sitting down on one of the chairs. She rested her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands, rubbing her temples with her thumbs.

The Turtle frowned, concerned by his girlfriend's strange reaction. Rather than being overwhelmed with joy like he imagined her to be, she seemed pretty upset. But why? "Gaia, what's the matter?" he asked her as he took a seat at the table next to her.

She sighed and removed her hands from her face, looking at him with tired amber eyes. "Why do you want us to get married?"

Donnie was genuinely confused. "Well, what's wrong with us getting married?"

"Nothing, I mean-" She paused and closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them again. "Answer my question first. Why do you want us to become a married couple?"

"Well," Donnie looked down at his hands and twiddled his thumbs, "I'm not saying that we're not madly in love right now. But I guess...I don't know...I'd feel a lot more secure about our relationship if we were unified through marriage." He reached for her hand on the table and gently held it. "I want us to become more than just boyfriend and girlfriend living under the same roof. It's always been my dream since teenhood to marry the woman I love and become her husband. What I'm saying is, I want us to take the next and biggest step in our lives."

A bit of sadness flickered in her eyes and she placed her other hand over his. "Hon, I understand, but...I guess I'm a bit thrown off because I never once considered marriage. See, I've been in five relationships over the years before I met you, and none of them ended well. I'd meet a guy, get attached, and the relationship would last for at least three months. Then something would always come up and ruin it, like he'd cheat on me or we couldn't argree on something and get into an ugly argument that was so bad that we couldn't work it out. So it never got to that point, and I became so convinced that I would never get married."

The more he listened, the more his heart broke. He thought he knew where Gaia was going with this and bit his lip as he glanced to the side.

"To be honest, hon," Gaia continued softly, "I don't think marriage is necessary. Our love for each other is just as strong as that of any married couple. But if it's that important to you, and you think we can do it, then-"

"So you think it won't last between us?" Donnie cut her off, still looking at the wall.

Gaia blinked. "What?"

"You're afraid that we might call it quits one day and break up, like with the other guys? You don't believe in our love?"

"What? No, honey. You've misunder-"

He sharply turned his head and glared at her with wet eyes. "And you don't want to get married because you don't want to invest too much and then have to deal with the consequences that come with divorce?"

"Divorce? No, Donnie, please listen-"

He pulled his hand out of her grasp and stormed out of the kitchen.

Gaia ran after him. "Donnie, where are you going?"

"Home," Donnie grumbled as he reach for the knob on the front door.

"Home? But this is your home!" she grabbed her arm, but he pulled it away and opened the door. "Donnie!" She stumbled back a bit as he slammed the door in her face.

As he stomped down the stairs of the apartment, he could hear her screaming at him in his head. _Donnie, you don't understand! Please come back! I love you more than anything in the universe! I do! DONNIE!_

But he shook his head and blocked out her voice, too hurt and angry to listen, and soon her cries faded away.

* * *

"I know it's not much," Raph said as he led Mona into the lair, "but this is where I live."

The Salamandrian looked around her and smiled. "It's not so bad. I like it."

"You do?" Raph smiled shyly. "Great."

Just then Chompy peeked his head from behind the couch and charged toward them, his tail wagging like crazy. Mona let out a surprised yell and instinctively clung to Raph, causing the Turtle to blush madly. Chompy halted inches from Mona's face and proceeded to lick her. Soon Mona started giggling and began to stroke the top of the space turtle's head.

"This is Chompy," Raph laughed, patting his pet's shell. "I found him on planet Magdomar thirty years ago. He's been my fire-breathing pooch ever since. You don't mind having a pet here, right?"

Mona gently pushed Chompy away and wiped all the drool off her face, smiling as she did. "Not at all. I like him already."

"Good. And also we've got a roommate: Karai. I just know that you'll love her."

On cue, Karai, herself, stepped out of the kitchen. "There you are!" she said to Raph. "About time you got here."

Raph looked at her confused. "Why? What's the problem?"

"Donnie came storming in here earlier," she said, nodded toward the lab. "He and Gaia had a falling out."

"Seriously?" Raph groaned and face palmed. "Ugh...I swear, Donnie and all his romance drama. I'll go talk him. In the meantime, could you show Mona around?"

"Sure," Karai wrapped an arm around Mona and they walked down the hall together while Raph headed into the kitchen.

His brother was washing dishes in the sink, which was something he always did whenever he was upset or under stress. Raph smirked and shook his head. "Gee, thanks, Donnie!" he said loudly, causing the genius Turtle to jump and nearly drop a plate. "One less chore for me to do!"

Donnie looked back at him and sighed. "Yeah, no problem," he muttered as he resumed his cleaning.

Raph walked up to him and slung his arm over his shoulder. "So you and Gaia had a fight, huh?"

Donnie sighed again and set a plate down a bit harshly. "Yeah."

"About what?"

"About...getting married."

Raph grimaced. "Ohhh...Lemme guess, she said no?"

"No. Not exactly."

"Then what happened?"

"She's a bit hesitant about getting married because...she has doubts about our relationship. She thinks we won't last until marriage, and even if we did, she doesn't want to have to deal with divorce. She told me about past relationships that ended on a bad note and that's why she's so insecure." He stopped washing and did something that he had not done since they were kids: lean against Raph and rest his head on his brother's shoulder. "I thought she believed in our love, Raph. She shouldn't feel insecure around me."

Raph nodded, understanding what his brother was going through. "I see. Well...she does love you, Donnie, that I know for a fact. Heck, I can _feel_ her love whenever you two are around. It's strong. And I seriously doubt that she would call it quits with you."

"But..." Donnie softy said, "she doesn't love me enough to want to marry me."

Raph gently nudged him off. "Okay, first of all, we're mutant Turtles. It's not like we can just walk into a church with our gals and tell the priest, 'Hey, we'd like to get married,' without causing a stir."

"I know," Donnie said, sulking.

"And the way I see it," Raph continued, "you guys are already married. You're certainly fighting like one. But you gotta work it out and not run away and sulk like what you're doing now. You love her more than anything in the world, don't you?"

"Of course, I do," Donnie stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Raph smirked and playfully slapped him on his shell. "Then go back and talk things over with her. You can't let something like this tear you two apart now."

Donnie thought about it for a moment before he nodded. "Okay, but for right now I need my space. Just for the night until things have cooled down a bit. Then I'll go back to her apartment tomorrow."

"I gotcha, bro," Raph gave his fleshy shoulder a squeeze. "But you're gonna have to sleep on the couch, 'cause I'm giving Mona your old room."

"What?" Donnie looked at him surprised. "Mona's moving in here?"

The older brother smiled proudly and nodded. "Yep. She's gonna live here with me from now on."

Chompy waddled into the kitchen and gently pushed his snout against Raph's shell, catching his attention.

"Hey, buddy," Raph scratched his pet's chin. "What's up?" He then noticed that Chompy had what appeared to be a piece of paper in his jaws. "What have you got in your mouth there?" Chompy dropped into on the floor and Raph bent down to pick it up. His chest instantly tightened when he realized that it was a photo of Shadow. He looked back down at Chompy, who began to whimper with sadness in his purple eyes.

"I know, buddy," he softly said as he stroked Chompy's head. "I miss her too. A lot. I just hope that she's okay, wherever she is."

 **So...now we finally know who the Shredder really is and what he plans to do...but a lot of you already knew his real identity. ;)**


	36. Kal The Merciful

**Hope you guys had an awesome Thanksgiving! Gobble! Gobble! LOL!**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"KAL! KAL! KAL!"

The mutants cheered and chanted their champion's name as the meerkat stepped into the battle arena of the Death Dome. Seated among the spectators on a platform, Shadow watched as he smiled and waved at his fans. Again, she was baffled at how calm he was acting, considering that he was about to fight to the death.

A mutant roadrunner, who was the announcer, spoke to the crowd with his microphone. "My brothers and sisters, may I present to you our undefeated champion: Kal the Killer!"

The crowd immediately went into an uproar and applauded the meerkat, who pumped his fists in the air. Shadow, herself, clapped for her new friend while also silently praying for his safety.

"And in this corner," the announcer pointed to his left, "the new challenger for tonight's battle, the terrible, the mighty...Bear Jaw!"

On cue, a massive mutant grizzly bear stepped from one of the entrances and let out a terrifying growl. He wore spiked steel shoulder pads, black leather pants, and a chest harness. There was a mixture of boos and cheers coming from the audience, while Shadow stared wide-eyed at the beast that was ten times Kal's size.

The meerkat showed no fear and went to the weapons wall, picking out the flail.

Bear Jaw chuckled darkly. "I don't need a weapon to beat you," he said in a deep, gruff voice. "I'll tear you apart with my _bare_ hands! Ha! Get it? _Bare_ hands?"

"Genius," Kal deadpanned, twirling the spiked ball of the flail around.

"And now may I present our almighty king," the announcer pointed to a raised roofed platform that overlooked the entire arena, "who has blessed us with his presence tonight!"

"PRIDE! PRIDE! PRIDE!" The crowd cheered and chanted his name as the white lion marched up the steps leading to the platform, dragging Mikey behind him by a chain that was wrapped around his waist. Shadow gasped as she saw the elderly Turtle, relieved that he was okay.

Pride, who was wearing his muzzle, sat down on a throne, while Mikey was left standing, as there were no other seats.

"What, no seat for me?" Mikey huffed. "Shouldn't the husband-to-be of the king get a seat, too?"

The lion responded by roughly dragging Mikey down to the floor on his butt. The elderly briefly glared up at him before secretly pulling out a nail file from under his tunic and began to work on the chains.

"Gladiators, FIGHT!" the announcer shouted as a loud buzzing sound went off.

Immediately, Bear Jaw charged at Kal with a mighty roar, pointing his massive claws toward the meerkat. Kal leapt over his head and hit him in the face with the flail in the process. The bear snorted and rubbed his injured nose before he turned and charged at him again.

Kal ducked as Jaw swiped at him with his claws...then kicked him hard in the groin. Jaw squeaked and covered his injured privates, and before he could have time to recover, Kal hit him twice in the face with the flail. The crowd went wild and cheered on for the meetkat.

Growling in anger, Jaw lashed out at Kal and broke the chain of the flail in half with his claws. Kal stumbled backwards in shock and tossed the handle aside. He dashed for the weapons wall, but Jaw blocked his way and began to swipe madly at him.

After digging a few swipes, Kal slid under Jaw through the gap in between his legs and grabbed the spiked ball that lay on the ground. As the bear charged at him, the meerkat threw the ball at him with all of his strength.

A sickening crack was heard as the ball collided with Jaw's face and he fell backwards. With a loud thud, he landed on his back and groaned in pain as his nose bled.

The announcer scurried over to the fallen warrior and checked his condition. "Bear Jaw is unable to fight! The winner is Kal the Killer!"

The audience cheered and chanted the meerkat's name as he pumped his fists triumphantly in the air. Shadow stood up and clapped her hands, overjoyed that her friend won the fight.

Then the crowd quieted down as Kal approached Jaw, who was kneeling on the ground and holding his bleeding nose. The bear looked up fearfully at him, waiting for him to deliver the finishing blow.

But to his surprise, Kal offered him a hand with a friendly grin. "Good fight," he said as he helped him up. The other mutants cheered even louder at his act of mercy. Shadow smiled as she watched Kal pat Jaw on the back.

Only Pride was not applauding. Instead he growled disapprovingly and shook his head. Mikey was too focused on cutting his chains to notice Pride standing up and walking toward the stairs. He yelped as his chain was yanked and he dropped the file.

The crowd hushed again as the king made his way down the stairs and toward the arena. Kal and Jaw both bowed their heads to him as he approached them.

"Congratulations on your victory, Kal," Pride said to the meerkat. "But what I can't understand is why you don't finish your enemies off like the other gladiators."

Kal lifted his head. "Well, I don't believe in killing for sport...sire." He struggled not to sound disgusted at the last word.

Pride grunted and nodded. "I see. Let me lend you in on a secret, Kal: mercy is a weakness. How do you think I became desert warlord? There are only two kinds of people in this world. There are winners and there are losers. And the losers..."

With one massive hand, he grabbed Jaw by the throat and squeezed until a crack was heard. The crowd gasped as Jaw fell to the ground dead. Shadow about threw up into her handkerchief. Mikey clamped a hand over his mouth in horror. Kal began to breathe heavily, anger coursing through his veins.

Pride glanced over at Kal with his red eyes, sneering under his muzzle. "You and I are winners, Kal. We must remain hard and unfeeling and show no mercy."

Kal sighed and bowed to him once again. "Yes, my king," he said in a low voice.

Shadow watched the king drag Mikey away by the chain, cursing under her breath. Rescuing the Turtle wasn't going to be easy.

No one cheered or chanted Pride's name as he walked out of the arena, and the king smiled proudly to himself as he soaked in all their fear. After all, fear was what made him ruler over the canyon city.

* * *

"So if you never kill, why are you called 'Kal the Killer'?" Shadow asked Kal as the two headed back to the mole technician's shop later that night. Several mutants who were passing by congratulated the meerkat on his victory, praising him. One kid, a kitten, even asked him for his autograph, which he gladly wrote on a small piece of paper.

Kal chuckled as he ruffled the kid's hair and waved to him as he ran off. "It was a catchy title, so they decided to call me that."

"You were awesome out there, Kal. I can see now why you're so popular around here."

"Heh, thanks."

"But I guess Pride was the only dissatisfied fan tonight."

The meerkat frowned at the mention of the lion's name. "He always wants to see blood, even if he has to spill it himself."

"You said that he destroyed your village. What happened to your family?"

Kal sighed heavily and his ears flattened as he remembered his lost, beloved family. "He killed my parents right in front of me and my older brother. I didn't know it at the time, but Mira was the only one to have escaped. Instead of killing us as well, he forced me to fight in the Death Dome as a gladiator while he made my brother his fifth husband."

Shadow looked over at him surprised. "Wait. Fifth husband?"

Kal nodded. "Every couple of years, he picks out a new husband and keeps him for a while until he's bored with him."

"So now he's chosen Mikey as his sixth husband. Great. So...what happens after he's bored with them?" Shadow gulped, dreading the answer.

The meerkat closed his eyes in sadness. "He kills them."

Shadow's green eyes widened and her face paled. "Are you serious?"

"My brother used to be strong and full of life, but...the last time I ever saw him alive, he looked so broken and dead inside. I could hardly recognize him. Needless to say, Pride grew tired of him and...hung his carcass in his garden with the others. At least that's what I heard from the servants, and I believe them."

Kal snarled and suddenly punched the nearest wall in rage, causing Shadow to flinch and back away from the meerkat a bit.

"I wish I could rip his black heart right out of his chest," he growled, clenching his bleeding fist. "One of these days..." He took a deep breath to regain his composure and cleared his throat. "Anyway, let's check on your robot friend."

...

When they arrived at the shop, Donnie was fully repaired with his head back on and sitting at a table with the mole technician...having tea? They both turned when they heard Shadow and Kal walk into the shop.

Donnie's rabbit ears perked up in excitement at the sight of his teen friend. "Shadow! You're okay!"

"So are you!" Shadow ran up to the robot Turtle, looking him over. "You were almost made into scrap metal. How do you feel?"

"For someone who got his head whacked off his shoulders, I feel great," Donnie said. "Good as new."

"I must say," the mole adjusted the glasses on his long nose, "your robot is amazing. Unlike anything I've ever seen. It's almost as if it has a mind of its own."

Donnie looked over at Shadow and shrugged. The mole had no idea how right he was. He noticed Kal standing behind Shadow. "Who's that?"

Shadow smiled and gestured to the meerkat. "This is Kal, Mira's older brother."

"What?" Donnie's ears went straight up again. "Her older brother? But I thought her family was-"

"They were," Kal said with a sad look. "Mira and I are the only ones left."

"Wait," Donnie looked over Shadow's shoulder, searching for something. "Where's Mikey?"

"He's with Dominan Pride," Shadow told him with a grim look.

"Who?"

"He's the ruler over this city. He..." She shuddered and gagged. "He wants to marry Mikey."

"...What? He is aware that Mikey's not a...you know? I mean, I can understand with the long hair and the attire-"

"He knows, Donnie. He likes men."

"Oh. Well, even so, how could anyone fall for... _eugh_...Mikey?"

"Mikey's in trouble, Donnie. That Dominan Pride guy is nuts."

"He must be if he finds Mikey attractive."

"I'm being serious here! He's a murderous psychopath! And we need to rescue Mikey and get out of this city ASAP!"

Kal glanced over at the technician then back at Shadow. "Uh, let's discuss this outside," he whispered to her. "Somewhere more private." He placed several golden coins in the mole's hand as payment for his services. "Thank you, Mr. Tera."

* * *

"Raph. Raph, wake up."

The hotheaded Turtle woke up to somebody nudging him. He was still chained to a chair and he was still in the Hooks' tank. Leo was looming over him and Raph became fearful for a second, but then he noticed that there was softer look in his eyes than earlier.

"It's time to go," his older brother whispered to him.

"Wh-What...?" Raph looked up at him confused. He was even more confused when Leo suddenly broke his chains, freeing him. "Leo, what's going on?"

Leo flashed him a small sad smile before he walked toward the controls of the tank. "Sorry I was so rough on you earlier, but I had to make it look convincing."

Raph blinked. "Wait. You mean you were faking it?"

Leo nodded. "I picked up Donnie's distress signal about half an hour ago. Something happened to them and we need to hurry. We'll use this tank to find them."

Raph got up from his chair and stomped over to where his brother sat. "Leo, you really had me worried," he said angrily. "I thought we lost you again."

"I know," Leo said with remorse in his voice as he prepared to start the tank. "And I'm sorry that I deceived you like that, but I had to do something, or else they would've killed you."

Despite being angry with Leo, Raph smiled a little. His former leader always looked after his bros and did whatever he could to protect them, no matter what the extremes. H wasn't going to let Leo live this down, though. "So you're planning to steal this tank from those Hook punks? How are we gonna do that without waking them up? They'll come after us with a vengeance."

Leo smirked. "They can't if their other tanks are without fuel." He gestured to the back of the tank and Raph followed his gaze. There were several tin containers which were apparently filled with fuel. "We shouldn't have to worry about running out for a while."

Suddenly the side door opened and Raph jumped, preparing himself for a fight. But to his relief, Mira stepped into the vehicle with another container in her arms. "That's the last of them, Leo," she grunted as she set it down with the rest.

"Good," Leo nodded at her. "We're ready to go then."

"Leo, wait," Raph placed a hand on Leo's seat. "Before we go, there's something I have to do first."

Leo looked up at him. "What?"

 _BAM!_

He grunted when he felt Raph's fist collide with his right cheek. After rubbing it for a moment until the pain somewhat dulled, he looked back up at Raph in surprise.

His brother smirked and crossed his arms. "Now we're even."

Leo chuckled weakly and winced at the stinging in his cheek. "Yeah, okay. I deserved that."

...

The Hooks slept in a big circle surrounding the now smoking campfire, and they all woke up with a startle as Leo's tank turned on with a loud rumbling and hiss. They all turned to see it speeding away from the camp.

Killer Orca growled as he quickly stood back on his feet. "We got duped! After them!" he barked to the others, who rushed to the other tanks. But as they turned the keys to the ignitions, nothing happened.

"What's wrong?!" Orca demanded as he jumped into one of the tanks. "Why aren't we going after them?!"

The skunk looked at the fuel gauge and pointed to the limp needle that rested at the E. "There's no fuel in any of the tanks! We're stranded!"

Orca's red eyes widened before he narrowed them and roared in fury. _**"RRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!"**_

...

They drove for several hours in the desert wasteland before they spotted something large in the distance. As they got closer, they could make out a spiked turtle shell.

"CHOMPY!" Raph yelled as he instantly recognized his pet space turtle even in the dark.

The poor thing had been tied down with long ropes that had been drilled deep into the ground and was left to starve to death. Once the tank pulled over and Raph jumped out, Chompy began to wag his long tail in excitement and whimpered.

"Chompy!" Raph ran to his pet's side, checking him over. "Oh, man. Who did this to you, buddy? Hang on, I'll cut you free." With his battle knife, he cut the ropes that held Chompy down. Once the turtle was freed, he began to lick Raph's face in both love and gratitude.

Mira inspected the tire tracks in the sand that led to the east. "These were made by trucks," she told the others. "Whoever was driving them must've been the ones who kidnapped the others and did this to Chompy."

"Great," Raph muttered as he gently pushed Chompy away. "More desert gangs to deal with. This never would've happened if I hadn't have picked up that girl. Everything was fine until _she_ showed up. And now our brothers are in danger."

"Raph," Leo scolded him, "this wasn't Shadow's fault and you know it, so quit being so hard on her. We need to follow those tracks if we're to ever find our brothers. Let's get going."

* * *

"Goodnight, Chalupa."

Pride roughly shoved Mikey into a cage that was next to his bed and locked him inside. He patted the bars and took off his muzzle, revealing his noseless lower face. "Tomorrow night, we shall be wed, _and_ I will obtain immortality after I consume the pure human's flesh. Oh, what a night. What a lovely night it will be." He turned off the kerosene lamp on his drawer and climbed into his luxurious comfy bed, falling asleep within minutes.

In the cage, Mikey was provided with only a pillow and scratchy blanket. Sighing, he fluffed his pillow as much as he could and pulled the blanket over him, although it didn't cover his feet and he started to shiver from the cold. "Man, this sucks," he muttered as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Psst!"

Mikey's eyes popped back open and he looked up through the bars. To his surprise, Donnie was standing over his cage and waved at him. He smiled widely at the sight of his now repaired brother. "DON-!"

 _"Shhh!"_ Donnie harshly shushed him and put a robotic finger over the slit that was his mouth. "Mikey, be quiet!" He knelt down and pointed a finger at the lock. A tiny purple laser emitted from out of his finger, and as he worked, he'd occasionally look back at the sleeping Pride, who continued to snore loudly. The lock was finally burnt in half and the door slowly creaked open. Very carefully and quietly, Donnie helped Mikey out of the cage and they tiptoed out of the bedroom.

...

"Ah! Good to have my old poncho back!" Mikey laughed as he quickly slipped his garment back on.

"We have to hurry before the whole city wakes up," Kal quietly told the others as they hurried toward the monster truck station. "This will be our ride," he pointed to the biggest one of them all. It was black and painted with red and yellow flames that covered the side doors. The roof was adorned with spikes and the front bender had a large silver skull on it. And best of all, the back of the truck was covered with a cap that could hide them as they traveled.

"Whoa, sweet ride," Shadow looked up in awe. "Can I drive?"

"Do you even have a license?" Donnie asked her.

"I do...sorta. I have a permit."

"Sorry, Shadow," Kal chuckled as he climbed to the driver's side. "I'm driving this baby. She's mine, after all."

...

That morning, Pride woke up expecting to see Mikey in his cage, but to his shock, the Turtle was gone. "What the...?!" He hopped out of bed and quickly put his silk robe on. He stormed down the halls and barged through the doors of the throne room, alarming the servants. "WHERE IS THE HOLY CHALUPA?!" he roared, terrifying the other mutants. "I woke up this morning and he wasn't in his cage! If any of you know where he is, speak NOW!"

A weasel slowly and nervously approached the king, bowing her head and tucking her tail between her legs. "M-My lord, w-we were betrayed."

The lion leaned down closer to her and sneered. "By who?" he hissed.

"B-By Kal the meerkat. We-We just received word that he took off with the Turtle and-and the pure human late last night."

Pride's red eyes became large at the mention of the meerkat's name, before he snarled and clenched his fists. "Kal..." he whispered venomously. "I should've known that he'd be nothing but trouble." He turned back to his servants, who immediately stood at attention. "Prepare my battle armor and tell my best warriors to get ready! We are going after the traitor and taking back what belongs to me!"

 **Next chapter will be epic! :D**


	37. The New King

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

The massive wheels of the monster truck completely crushed a skull as it continued to ride through the desert wasteland.

Shadow sat in the front with Kal while Donnie and Mikey sat in the back. "Think Pride will come after us?" she nervously asked the meerkat.

He focused on the road before him but slightly nodded. "Wouldn't doubt it. That's why I need to get you guys as far away from the canyon city as possible. Hopefully, we'll find this TCRI you've been talking about."

"I'm really worried about Chompy, guys," Mikey said with a concerned look. "He's still out there somewhere. He could die of heatstroke."

"Don't worry, Mikey," Donnie placed a robotic hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Chompy will be fine. Keep in mind that he is a space turtle from a planet made of lava. He loves this kind of environment. Besides, with that incredible nose of his, he should be able to pick up our scent and eventually find us."

"Yeah, I know, but-" Mikey's blue eyes popped out when he saw something in the passenger side mirror. "Uh, guys? They found us."

At this, Kal poked his head out and sure enough, he could see a group of more monster trucks following them in the distance. He instantly recognized the leading truck, the biggest one that had the steel lion face on the front bumper and exhausts that would occasionally shoot out massive flames. "Shoot," he cursed under his breath before he stomped on the gas pedal. "HANG ON!" The truck roared and screeched as it picked up speed, and all of the passengers were flung back into their seats by the impact.

Meanwhile, in the leading truck, Dominan Pride growled as he watched them speed off. He was now wearing an iron chest armor with shoulder pads and faulds. The muzzle was back on his face covering the scarred nose. He stood up from the passenger seat and through the sunroof, looking back at his blonde warriors.

"DO NOT LET THE TRAITOR GET AWAY!" he roared at them. "KILL HIM AND BRING THE PURE HUMAN AND THE HOLY CHALUPA TO ME, DEAD OR ALIVE!"

The warriors went into an uproar and hit their gas pedals, driving past Dominan's truck and catching up to Kal's.

When Kal saw the oncoming vehicles, he did a complete U-turn and was now facing them.

"What are you doing?!" Shadow screamed in horror.

Kal only smirked and shifted the gear in reverse. Everyone was nearly flung out of their seats as the truck drove backwards at full speed.

"You still wanna drive?" the meerkat looked over at the shocked teen next to her.

"Wha-I-I thought...seriously?" Shadow stuttered. "Drive _backwards_?"

"Yeah, it's easy," Kal pressed a button on the steering wheel and a chair with a large cannon attached to it popped out through an opening in the hood. "Just don't crash." He climbed through the sunroof and into the chair, preparing to fire.

Shadow cursed as she climbed into the driver's seat and took control of the wheel, but watched in awe as Kal fired his cannon at one of the pursuing trucks. A fiery ball aimed for the front left tire, obliterating it. The truck swerved a few times before it flipped over and crashed.

That was when the mutants in the other trucks starting firing at them with the their own guns. Shadow started to freak out and tried to dodge the oncoming bullets, several of which hit the front bumper. A few narrowly missed Kal by inches but he remained firm and continued to fire. He smirked triumphantly as he hit another truck but then yelled in pain as a bullet hit him in the shoulder.

"KAL!" Shadow screamed.

"I'm fine!" Kal shouted back as he gripped his bleeding shoulder with one hand while firing the cannon with the other. Two more trucks were hit, and soon only Pride's vehicle was left.

The king growled and leaned in from the backseat closer to the driver. "Activate the spear," he ordered. The driver nodded and pulled a level on the control console. The silver lion on the bumper opened its jaws and a large spear poked out. The driver pressed another button and the spear shot out from the lion's mouth toward the truck. It embedded itself deep in the front bumper and the console began to sizzle and smoke.

Shadow yelped as several sparks flew around her face. "This can't be good!"

Pride smiled under his muzzle and patted the driver's shoulder. "Reel them in."

The wire to which the speak was attached started to pull Kal's truck toward Pride's like a fish on a hook. No matter how hard Shadow pushed down on the gas pedal, the vehicle could not pull away and the wheels began to smoke from the friction. Kal hopped off his chair and crawled across the hood toward the wire, pulling out a knife from out of his back pocket. He frantically started to saw at the wire, but the blade could not cut through the steel.

"Hold on!" Donnie jumped up from the backseat and poked his head out through the opening in the roof. He aimed his right fist at Pride's truck and launched it like a rocket. Pride and his men screamed as the robot's hand flew straight toward them.

 _BOOM!_

The truck exploded upon impact, and the hand flew straight back to Donnie and reattached itself to his arm. The robot Turtle nodded proudly as he sat back down. "And that takes care of that."

"Whoo! Donnie that was awesome!" Shadow cheered.

"Yeah, quick thinking there, Donbot!" Mikey slapped his brother on the shoulder.

Kal watched as the dust settled, and all that was left of Pride's truck was a burning pile of scrap metal. Convinced that the canyon king was now dead, he crawled back into the truck and Shadow scooted over to the passenger's seat, allowing him to take over the wheel once again. The meerkat hissed in pain from the bullet wound in his shoulder.

"Kal, we should head back and get that treated," Shadow suggested, concerned for her friend.

But Kal shook his head and gave her a pained grin. "Nah, I'll be good. What's more important right now is getting you guys to this TCRI." He shifted the gear back into drive and they resumed their journey.

...

About an hour later, they reached a mountain range that stretched a great ways across the desert. The meerkat sighed tiredly and put the vehicle in parking. "Well, we got a decision to make," he announced to the others. "We could either drive around the mountains, which would take about, say...two hours. Or we could try and drive through them, which will be extremely dangerous but we would get to our destination a lot faster."

Shadow, Mikey, and Donnie all looked at one another, thinking this over.

"What do you guys think?" Shadow asked the Turtles. "Drive through it?"

"Might as well," Donnie shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm getting a bad case of antsy pants in this car," Mikey fidgeted in his seat. "I can't sit for another two hours."

"Okay," Kal shifted the gear back into drive, "through the mountains it is. Gotta warn you, though, the roads are a little bumpy."

...

The dirt roads were _extremely_ bumpy, and the entire truck rocked back and forth as it drove over rocks and boulders. The passengers groaned as they rocked along with the vehicle in their seats.

When they reached the peak and started to go down to the other side of the mountain, they could see what appeared to be two vehicles (though the second one looked more like an animal of some kind) in the far distance heading straight toward them.

"Oh, boy," Mikey mumbled. "Hope that's not Pride's reinforcements."

Donnie used his advanced vision to see who the drivers were, and his rabbit ears perked up as he instantly recognized them. "Guys! It's Leo and Raph! They're on their way over here!"

"What?!" Mikey smiled excitedly. "Are you serious?!"

...

Inside the tank, Raph could see that his T-phone on the passenger's seat was ringing, which could only mean one thing. He quickly picked it up and answered. "Donnie?"

 _Hey, guys! We can see you from up here!_

"What?!" Raph looked up at the mountain ahead of them through the front window. "You guys are up in the mountains?!"

 _Yeah! We're on our way down!_

About more than halfway down the mountain, the monster truck parked near a cliff for a moment and Shadow and the others hopped out to wave at Raph, Mira, and Leo, who were just below them at the base. Chompy was with them, too, alive and well, which made Mikey very happy.

"Chompy!" Mikey called out to him. "You're okay!"

Chompy roared to him in response, wagging his tail happily.

Kal noticed a familiar face down below and his heart instantly clenched. "...Mira...?"

Meanwhile, Mira couldn't quite make out the face of the stranger standing next to Shadow and the Turtles up on the cliff, but something about him felt familiar...

As Shadow continued to wave down at her friends, a large hand suddenly clamped on her mouth from behind and roughly dragged her away from the others. Her muffled screams were not unheard, though, as they all turned around.

To their horror, Dominan Pride, who was badly burnt but very much alive, was carrying Shadow under his arm and climbing back up the mountain. Most of his mane has been burnt off and his face was charred, giving him a frightening look.

"PRIDE!" Kal reached for his knife and ran after them. "LET HER GO!"

The lion glared down at him briefly before ripping some boulders from out of the dirt wall and hurling them down at the meerkat, who jumped out of the way in time. Pride continued his way up the mountain, while Shadow struggled and kicked his grasp. Kal and Mikey climbed up after him while Donnie called his brothers for help.

...

"Ow! Lemme go, you punk! I mean it! Lemme go!"

Shadow continued to fight and yell when Pride suddenly slammed her against a large boulder, holding her by the neck with one hand and choking her. He leaned in closer to her face, the nuzzle touching the tip of her nose.

"Once I consume your body," he snarled, "I will become immortal, and nothing will kill me." He pulled his other hand back and extended his claws. "I will start with your heart."

Shadow's eyes got misty with tears, both from the lack of oxygen and fear.

But then a large massive fist collided with Pride's cheek and the lion fell to the ground. Shadow coughed as she was released and was shocked to see Leo standing protectively in front of her.

After Pride regained his sense and stood back up, his red eyes widened at the sight of his old rival. Then he snarled and ripped his muzzle off, revealing the scar that used to be his nose. "Maximus Kong," he hissed, his long tail wagging wildly. "I've waited years for the day we would meet again and finish what we started," he pointed to his scar.

Leo vaguely remembered fighting this lion, and he was mortified to learn that he was the one who ripped his nose off. "Listen," he said in a calm but stern voice, "whatever happened between us, that's all in the past now. I'm not the same as I was when we last met. We can resolve things peacefully."

Intitally, Pride was surprised by Maximum Kong's peaceful approach, but then he snorted and threw his head back as he laughed. "I don't want to make peace with you! I want your _blood_!"

He roared as he charged at Leo and latched onto his face, scratching and punching him like a madman. But Leo was able to pull him off and hurled him against the boulder, which cracked the moment his body hit it.

The Turtle whipped his to where Shadow stood. "Get out of here, Shadow!" he yelled, pointing to the west. "The others are down that way!"

Shadow didn't want to leave him alone with that monster. "But-"

Just then Pride lunged right at her but Leo pinned him down before he could reach her. He struggled to keep the lion down and looked directly at Shadow. _"GO!"_

With great reluctance, she left the two warring mutants and went in the direction Leo instructed her to go.

Pride painfully elbowed Leo in the chest, and once the Turtle let go of him, he leapt over his shell and started to chase after Shadow. But then Leo grabbed him by the tail and flipped him onto his back.

The lion got back on his feet and the desert warlords engaged in combat, exchanging blows and kicks with such ferocity. Leo could feel the claws scratching every part of his body, but he continued to fight through the pain and broke several of Pride's ribs.

But Pride was just as stubborn and determined as Leo, and he picked up a large rock and chucked it at the Turtle's head. The blow caused Leo to fall to the ground disoriented, and Pride used the opportunity to pick up a nearby boulder. With all the strength he muster, he lifted the chunk of the mountain over his head and stomped over to Leo, who was still regaining his senses.

"Let's see what that shell of yours looks like on the inside," he grunted as he prepared to drop the boulder on Leo.

But then something sharp suddenly hit him in the back and he screamed as he let go of the boulder, which missed Leo by a few inches. He reached behind him and felt the handle of a knife, and with a hiss and grunt of pain he pulled it out. Growling furiously, he looked around for the one who dared to harm him.

Then something jumped onto his head and began to attack him, pulling at what remained of his mane and scratching his eyes. Roaring and howling in pain, he struggled to pyre the attacker off of him, unaware that he was heading straight for a cliff.

They both fell and rolled down the slope until they landed on another cliff. Pride felt the stranger let go of him and looked up to see Kal standing over him.

He snarled at the meerkat and lunged right at him. But Kal jumped right over him, kicking him in the head while in mid-air. Pride turned around and wildly swiped at him with his claws. But the meerkat was much too quick for him, which was a further insult to the king of the canyon city.

At one point, Kal reached for a bough of a dead tree that was lying on the ground and used it to whack Pride in the knees. The lion howled and fell to the ground, holding his injured knees. As Kal approached him, he secretly reached for the knife in his belt...

 _SLASH!_

"AHH!" Kal yelled in pain and gripped his now bleeding side. He backed away as Pride limped toward him with the knife in his hand.

Pride's red eyes burned with fury and hatred as he madly swung his weapon at the meerkat. "I should never have spared your life, you traitorous piece of-!"

The ground suddenly gave away at his feet and he clung onto the precipice with his claws. He looked down fearfully at the bottom of the mountain and could feel his grip slipping. Kal walked over to the edge and stood over him, still holding his side.

Pride looked at him with pleading eyes and reached a hand out to him. "Kal, give me your hand! Save your king! _Please!_ "

Kal just stared at him indifferently for a moment before he knelt down and took Pride's hand. The lion smiled hopefully as he felt himself being lifted.

But then Kal stopped and sneered in Pride's face. "It's as you said, _my king_ ," he whispered venomously, "there are two kinds of people in this world. There are the winners and there are the losers."

Pride's eyes slowly widened in realization and horror.

Kal pulled his other hand back and clenched it into a fist. "And the losers..."

 _BAM!_

He punched Pride in the face with all his might and the king roared as he fell to his death. Dominan Pride was no longer.

Kal's ears twitched as he heard footsteps and turned to see Shadow walking toward him. She stood next to him and looked down to where Pride fell.

"Sheesh," Shadow mumbled. "Talk about a Disney death."

...

Shadow helped Kal back down the mountain to where the others waited, supporting him on her shoulder. Leo's wounds were being treated by Mikey, and she was relieved to see that the huge Turtle was alright.

Mira smiled as she watched Shadow climb back down and ran to her. "Shadow! You're okay! Thank the Green God-!" She froze and her eyes became large once she recognized the person Shadow was supporting. It couldn't be... "Kal...?" she whispered, her voice trembling a bit.

Kal smiled tiredly at his little sister, still a little woozy from the blood loss. "Hey...little sister."

With tears in her eyes, Mira ran to her brother and engulfed him a hug, but she didn't squeeze too hard and was careful with him seeing that he was injured. She affectionately nuzzled his cheek. "I thought you were dead," she whimpered, the tears now running freely in streams.

Kal sighed and hugged her closer to him. "I thought _you_ were dead."

Mira gently pulled away and looked up at him with eyes full of hope. "What about our parents? And Kron?"

The older meerkat closed his eyes and shook his head somberly. "They didn't make it, Mira."

Mira's ears dropped and she wiped her tears away as she looked down at her feet.

"Hey," Kal gently lifted her chin and smiled warmly at her. "We still have each other, and we're together again. Our family can now rest in peace."

She smiled sadly and nodded, embracing him again. The others stood to the side and watched the heartwarming scene with smiles (although Donnie couldn't smile physically, his soul inside the robot body was smiling).

* * *

With both a bullet and a stab wound, Kal had no choice but to go back to the canyon city to receive medical treatment. After a night's rest, the gang packed up for the rest of the journey, although they unanimously agreed to let Chompy stay in the city, where'd he have plenty of food and water, until they'd get back from TCRI...if they ever find it. Mira volunteered to stay and look after him, that way she could spend more time with her brother.

Dominan Pride's former road warriors, now wearing red hair instead of blonde in honor of Kal the Killer, helped the Turtles load their stuff into the tank. Kal stood by and supervised them, bandages wrapped around his waist and over his left shoulder.

"Make sure they have plenty of water!" he ordered his men, who saluted him in response.

Shadow walked up to him and smirked with her arms crossed. "Well, I'll be. First gladiator and now king. That's quite a promotion."

Kal chuckled. "Well, this city needs a new leader, and apparently I was their first choice. I don't know if I have what it takes to be king, though," he said a bit worriedly.

"Of course you do! You're brave and noble, plus everyone in this entire city loves you. And more importantly, you love them and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. I'd say you're the perfect choice. You'll do great."

The meerkat smiled a little. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh? Oh, by the way, my first act as king is to ban all human meat. Never liked it, anyway."

"Good!" Shadow laughed.

Just then Mira appeared and smiled sadly up at Shadow. "I wish you could stay longer."

Shadow sighed softly and nodded. "Yeah, me too. I won't ever forget you guys."

Mira's ears dropped in a depressed manner. "How will I know for sure that you won't?"

"I promise I won't," Shadow assured, then she got an idea. She pulled her phone from out of her pocket and gestured for the two meerkats to come. "Here. Both of you stand on either side of me." They did as she said and she knelt down on the ground so that she'd be at their level. She held the phone out in front of her pressed on the camera app, activating the selfie mode. "Okay, smile!"

 _Snap._

"There, see?" Shadow handed the phone to Mira, who looked at the new photo of the three of them smiling. "That way I can always look back and remember our time together."

From afar off, Raph watched Shadow taking a selfie with Mira and smiled to himself. Maybe the kid wasn't so bad after all. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Leo standing next to him.

"We're about to head off, Raph," Leo told him.

Raph nodded and walked over to the trio, affectionally patting the top of Mira's head. "We gotta get going, kid."

"You guys will come back, right?" she asked him with concern.

"Sure we will," he softly said, grinning down at her. "We'll be back before you know it."

Chompy stood by and whimpered as he watched his friends prepare to leave, and Mikey scratched his snout in comfort. "Aw, don't worry, big guy," he cooed to the space turtle. "We'll come back for you. Just don't eat anybody while we're gone." Chompy purred and licked him in response, making the smaller Turtle chuckle.

Shadow gave Chompy one scratch and kiss on the nose. "See you, boy. At least now I know we'll need to get you a bigger dog house in twenty years." Chompy wagged his tail and affectionately nuzzled her with his snout.

As she stepped into the tank, she took one last look at the mutants of the canyon city and their new king, all of them waving at her. She smiled and waved back before she closed the door behind her.

The tank hissed as it started on its way, and the gang resumed their journey to the ruins of New York, where TCRI was hopefully waiting for them.

 **Next chapter is one of the biggest chapters yet: Shadow discovers the truth about her past! See you next time! :D**


	38. The Light And The Shadow

**I've waited a long time to do this MAJOR chapter!**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _ **In the prime timeline...**_

"Why'd you drag me all the way out here, Raph? Especially in the middle of the night?" Donnie said with a yawn as they parked the Shellraiser, which was still running even after being in storage for thirty years. They were now at the old O'Neil farmhouse, and the sea of stars shined brightly in the night sky.

Without speaking a word, Raph stepped out of the vehicle and motioned for him to follow. Donnie rolled his eyes and sighed but hopped out nonetheless.

They walked to the farmhouse together, but instead of stepping inside, they stopped at the front steps. Donnie glanced over at his brother confused.

Then Raph pointed to a certain spot on the grass. "Do you remember what took place here, on this very spot, Donnie?"

It took the genius Turtle a few seconds before he realized what Raph was talking about, and his heart clenched as that awful memory resurfaced. He slowly and somberly nodded. "Yes. Mikey's funeral pyre was right there."

Raph nodded, putting his hand on Donnie's shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. "Yeah," he said in a very quite voice.

"Why'd you bring me here?" Donnie softly asked him, feeling the tears coming. He swore that he'd never come back to the farmhouse after the funeral, and he knew that Raph hated this place as much as he did.

"To remind you," Raph answered. "About the short time we have on this planet and the fragility of life. I said some things to Mikey that I wished I hadn't before he died. I can't go back and change what I said, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life."

"What are you getting at, Raph?" Donnie sighed.

"You and Gaia had a fight, and you haven't reconciled with her yet. You won't even return her calls. Don, what if something happens to her before you two get a chance to make up?"

The very thought of something bad happening to the love of his life...he couldn't even comprehend it. He felt a lump form in his throat and swallowed around it. "...Gaia didn't even start the fight. I was the one who walked away in a huff and refused to listen to her. I thought that by marrying her, I would ensure that we would stay together forever. When Casey came into our lives, I was so worried that he would take April from me." He chuckled bitterly. "And she probably would've ended up with me...if I hadn't have pushed her and everyone else away after Mikey died."

Donnie sighed and walked over to the porch of the farmhouse, sitting down on the top step and cradling his head in his hands. "That's always been the problem with me, Raph. I can't even hold onto to the people I care about and instead end up driving them away."

Raph sat down next to his brother and slung an arm over his shell. "You and me both, Donnie. And that's why I'm trying so hard to bring our family back together again, to make up for all the hurt I've caused you and everyone else." He felt his heart clench when he thought about his older brother. "But...I'm not having very much luck with Leo. I mean, I left him in _jail_ , for Pete's sake. And now he'll never forgive me."

Donnie looked up back at Raph, knowing just how hard it was for him to turn in his own brother. He reached to gently touch his shoulder. "Raph, Leo needed to be locked up, as much as we love our brother. And the thing is, Leo knows what he's doing is wrong, and he'll eventually forgive you 'cause even he will agree that it needed to be done."

Raph closed his eye and sighed. "Yeah, but...there's still the suicide problem. Leo is so determined to end his own life. I don't know if I'll ever convince him to reconsider."

"That's a personal battle he has to fight on his own. He needs to overcome it himself, and all we can do is try to be there for him and let him know that he's not alone. And if you do fail to save him in the end, at least you tried, and sometimes that's all we can do."

Raph slowly nodded and looked up at the beautiful sea of stars that could not be seen from the rooftops of the even tallest of skyscrapers back in New York. He startled when something suddenly dashed past his face and realized that it was a dragonfly. The insect hovered down and rested on a blade of grass next to Raph's foot, its translucent wings shimmering in the moonlight.

Somehow, Raph found himself smiling as he stared down at the dragonfly, suddenly reminded of a certain hotheaded teen whom he came to love like a daughter. He prayed that she was safe, wherever she was.

* * *

 _ **In the alternate timeline...**_

"We'll stop here for the night," Leo announced as the tank came to a complete stop in the middle of the desert. The crew stepped out of the vehicle and began to set up camp, laying down their sleeping bag and starting a campfire.

Mikey yawned and stretched himself. "I just hope that Ice Cream Kitty isn't having another party with the squirrels back home. Last time she did, they left some _surprises_ in my pillow."

Donnie turned to him. "Wow. You mean...?"

Mikey nodded. "Yep...nuts."

Shadow decided to climb on top of a towering boulder so that she could sleep under the stars, like she used to whenever she went camping with her folks in North Hampton. She set her up her sleeping bag and removed her jacket, folding it up to use as a pillow.

As Raph was about to settle down in his own bag, he felt someone touch his shoulder and turned to see Mikey standing over him.

"Raph, you should go talk to Shadow," the younger Turtle said with a grin.

Raph blinked. "Huh?"

"You know, get to know her more. She doesn't have anyone in this dimension and she could use another friend. Or an uncle," Mikey chuckled.

"Eh, I dunno," Raph shrugged. "I mean, it's not like she's gonna stay with us forever, and I can't afford to get attached."

"Come on, Raph. The kid's been through a lot in the last couple of days. It would probably do her good to have a familiar face to talk with."

Raph sighed softly. "Yeah, I guess so. But I don't know much help _I_ will be." He walked to the boulder and climbed up to meet with Shadow, who was surprised to see him, considering how hard he was on her before.

"Raph?" Shadow scooted over to make some room for him.

"Hey, kid, how's it going?" Raph grinned at her as he sat down.

"Okay, I guess," she said with a shrug before she lay back down on her bag. Staring up at the night sky, her released a soft, sorta melancholic sigh. "You know, in this dimension, the moon is shattered and the sky looks so weird. But the stars...they're still the same."

Raph lifted his head to the heavens and watched the stars with her, briefly reminiscing the good old days before the Mutagen Bomb destroyed nearly everything and everyone he loved and changed the world forever. The kid was right, though; the stars did stay the same, and that gave him a little bit of comfort.

"What if I never get back?" he heard Shadow say in a whisper and turned his head to look at her. Her green eyes were wet with tears. "Maybe this TCRI doesn't exist after all. What if I never see my parents again or get to meet my little brother?"

Hating to see the kid like this, Raph sat up and looked down at her with soft eyes. "Look, kid, I have serious doubts about this TCRI building still standing, but I could be wrong and Mikey could be right...again. Either way, I promise you, somehow we'll get you back home."

Shadow glanced up at him and sniffled. "Y-You will? But...I thought you hated me?"

"What? No! No, I never hated you! It's just...I was hard on you because I wasn't sure if I could trust you. After fighting off mutant gangs for fifty years, you become very...distrusting of others, if you get what I mean."

Shadow smiled a little and nodded. "Yeah, I get it. But you can trust me."

Raph smiled back at her. "Yeah, I know that now."

She yawned and closed her eyes. "Well, I'm gonna get some shut-eye. Night, Raph."

"Night, Shadow," Raph said. He thought about climbing back down the boulder, but ultimately decided to stay with her. Lying down with his hands behind his head, he dozed off staring at the tiny diamonds in the sky.

* * *

 _"Shadow, you can't keep starting fights at school," April sighed as they walked to the car together._

 _The teen huffed and slammed her door shut. "Well, I can't let them walk over me."_

 _"It's not very ladylike to punch someone in the face," April sternly told her as she started the car._

 _Shadow snorted and crossed her arms. "Really? 'Cause that wasn't a problem for you when you were my age."_

 _"That was different, honey. I became a kunoichi because I had to. And I certainly never punched kids who said stupid, meaningless things to me just to get under my skin, even though I would've liked to."_

 _Shadow whipped her head to her mother. "You don't even know what that punk said to me!"_

 _"I don't care what he said!" April snapped. "You should never hit someone because they hurt your feelings! You need to be the better person! Do you understand, young lady?"_

 _Shadow merely looked away and out her window._

 _"Shadow, I said, do you understand me?"_

 _"Yeah, whatever," the teen mumbled._

 _April sighed exasperatedly and continued to drive down the street. The child could be so difficult sometimes, especially since she was now a teenager._

 _"You know, that kid called me an 'adopted bimbo'," Shadow whispered bitterly. "And sometimes, I wonder if I actually_ am _adopted."_

 _The car suddenly came to an abrupt screeching halt and Shadow looked at her mother surprised. The reporter seemed extremely disturbed by Shadow's remark and tightened her grip on the wheel as she looked over at her daughter with wide eyes._

 _"Why do you think that, Shadow?" April asked with some urgency in her tone._

 _"I-I just..." Shadow stuttered, a little taken back by her mother's strange behavior. "Look, Mom, I know I'm your real daughter and-and I was just...I dunno, angry-"_

 _"Don't ever say such things so carelessly ever again," April reached over to grip Shadow's shoulders so that they'd be directly facing each other. "Despite what others might say, you_ are _our daughter."_

 _Now Shadow was getting a little nervous and pulled away from April. "O-Okay, Mom. I got it. Geez, take a pill."_

 _April took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, regaining her composure as she started on the road again. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I...I just don't want you to have doubts about who you are."_

 _"I understand, Mom...I think."_

 _Suddenly a dragonfly flew straight into the window and left a large yellow smudge._

 _"Aw, yeeuck!" Shadow said, but she was laughing, as was April, who turned on the windshield wipers. At least the tension was gone._

* * *

Shadow fluttered her eyes open and slowly sat up, stretching herself. Raph was still asleep next to her, curled up and snoring like a bear. She climbed down the boulder and looked around for a place to...powder her nose. The only privacy available was a dead dried up bush...of course.

As she knelt behind it and started to pull her pants down, she spotted something in the distance. It liked look a tower or...

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Oh, my god...! GUYS! WAKE UP!"

...

"Well, what do ya know," Raph muttered in disbelief as he stepped out of the tank.

They all stared up at the former headquarters of the Kraang, the TCRI tower. It looked exactly the same as it did fifty years ago, even after being exposed to the Mutagen bomb. No other buildings were standing, though, and the rusted debris and rubble at their feet were all that were left of New York City.

"I can't believe it's still standing even after all these years," Donnie said in awe.

Mikey glanced over at Raph and gave him a smug smirk. "Eh?"

Raph rolled his eyes and huffed. "Hmph. All right, all right. You were right...again."

All Shadow approached the entrance, she started to get an uncomfortable feeling in her gut for some reason, as though she had a hutch that there was something...sinister inside. "Uh, guys, are you sure this building is empty? I-I mean, there are no Kraang inside?"

"Lemme check," Donnie stepped forward and scanned the building with his thermal heat vision. "Hmm...no signs of life detected, which means no Kraang."

"Still, we'll have to move in with extreme caution," Leo warned. "We don't know what awaits us inside. Let's go."

As the Turtles started to move in, Raph noticed that Shadow wasn't following them and turned around to see her staring up at the building with what appeared to be fear in her eyes. "Kid? You coming?"

The teen blinked and shook herself out of her trance. "Huh? Oh, y-yeah."

...

Using his night vision, Donnie guided the others through the dark halls and up the stairs since the elevators didn't work. Every room they checked was completely empty. Not a single computer nor any Kraang technology lying around. Just dust and cobwebs.

As they got higher up, Shadow grew more and more anxious and tense. Even though she had never been to this place before, it somehow felt...familiar to her, like she was getting a strange feeling of deja vu.

"You okay, Shadow?" Raph whispered to her.

"Yeah," she lied with a tense smile, though Raph could see right through it.

Mikey started chuckling out of the blue.

"What's so funny?" Donnie asked him.

"Remember April Derp?"

"Oh, yeah." The other Turtles started to laugh along with him, while Shadow looked at all of them confused.

"April what?" she questioned.

"Oh, it was a long time ago," Leo told her. "We were fighting these clones of April in this very building, and one particular clone was _extremely_ ugly and malformed."

"I called her April Derp," Mikey said.

"So wait," Shadow was still trying to process all of this. "Mom was cloned?"

"Oh, yeah," Donnie nodded. "The Kraang were quite obsessed with cloning. They even cloned her mother."

Shadow froze, stopping dead in her tracks. "Grandma...?"

 _"Mom, how did Grandma die?"_

 _"Well, you see, honey, a long time ago, when I was little, the Kraang took your grandma away."_

"Well, technically the Kraang created a shape-shifting creature using a combination of Kraang DNA and Mrs. O'Neil's DNA," Donnie explained. "We found it beneath the farmhouse years ago, and it passed itself off as April's mother. Luckily we were able to destroy it before it destroyed us."

For some reason, this new information upset Shadow even more.

After nearly an hour of climbing up the steps and searching every room, they finally reached the very top floor, and still they found nothing.

An infuriated Raph punched the wall, leaving a dent. "Argh! Dangit! We traveled millions of miles across the desert for _nothing_! I _knew_ this would be a waste of time!"

"I don't understand," Donnie rubbed his metal chin. "Why would they leave the TCRI tower standing just to completely abandon it?"

"Maybe they wanted to leave behind a monument to themselves," Leo suggested. "To remind us who it was that destroyed the world with the Mutagen Bomb."

"But wait," Mikey scratched his head. "I thought it was this Emperor guy who dropped the Bomb?"

"It doesn't matter," Raph mumbled. "There's nothing here that can help Shadow get back home."

Mikey turned around, only to find that Shadow was gone. "Hey, speaking of, where is she?"

...

As she walked down the dark halls and stairs alone, images kept flashing in her mind. Images of strange pink creatures, possibly the Kraang, and then Slash and the other Mutanimals looking down at her. Her head began to pound so hard that she thought it would explode.

Now she was running, desperate to get outside and as far away from this place as possible. Her loud footsteps echoed in the empty building and she thought she heard voices calling out to her.

Even as she ran outside and breathed in the fresh air, she couldn't relax, not even a little bit. For some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about the clone stories. It was greatly upsetting her, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Shadow!" She turned around and saw the Turtles running out of the tower. Mikey approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? You look pale. And I take it that you're not sweating because of the heat."

"I..." Shadow couldn't even begin to speak.

"Look, kid," Raph stepped forward. "We didn't find what we were looking for here. But I promised you that I will find a way to get you back home, no matter what."

"It's not that," Shadow told him. "It's just..."

"What?" Leo questioned, concerned for his new human friend.

"Well...my parents wouldn't lie to me, right? I mean, if I was, say...adopted, they'd tell me, right?"

None of them were expecting this kind of question and they all stared at her blankly. "Uh..." they simultaneously said.

She could see that this was getting her nowhere and she tried to brush it off or at least pretend that she did. "Forget it. It's...nothing." She turned and started to walk to the tank. "Let's get going."

But a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked behind her to see Raph frowning at her. "Not so fast," he said. "Something's bugging you, and we want to know what it is."

Shadow huffed and pulled away from his grip. "Look, I already told you-!"

 _"Dad. I already told you before, Shadow is...you know, A-D-O-P..."_

Shadow blinked. Where did _that_ memory come from? "I-I mean-"

 _"I mean, I was doomed to live an abnormal life since before I was even born...The Kraang experimented on my Mom...And then there's Shadow...I don't ever regret finding her..."_

She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut as the pounding in her head returned.

"Shadow?" Raph shook her shoulders a little. "Kid, what's wrong?"

Without opening her eyes, she clutched onto the old Turtle's muscular, protective arms. "Mom and Dad...they would never lie to me...even about..."

 _"Despite what others might say, you_ are _our daughter."_

"I _am_ their daughter! I'm not some-!"

 _"She's the splitting image of my mother."_

 _"I swear, you're looking more and more like her every day."_

She slowly shook her head, desperately denying the possibility that she could be... "I-I know I look almost exactly like Grandma but that doesn't mean-!"

 _"Shadow is...A-D-O-P-T-E-D..."_

 _"I don't ever regret finding her..."_

 _"The Kraang were quite obsessed with cloning..."_

 _"She's the splitting image of my mother..."_

 _"They even cloned her mother..."_

She opened her eyes and released her grip, slowly backing away from Raph. "...No...No..."

Mikey raised an eye ridge. "Uh, Shadow?"

"No..." Shadow gripped the sides of her head, her eyes wide and her pupils shaking as she started to crumble under the weight of the horrible truth. "No...they wouldn't... _she_ wouldn't lie to me about...!"

 _"...finding her..."_

 _"...obsessed with cloning..."_

 _"...splitting image..."_

"NO!" Shadow started to scream, sinking to her knees. "I'M NOT! I'M NOT!"

"Shadow?!" Raph knelt down and started to reach for her...when something pushed him back. It was small, like a weak shove, but Shadow didn't even move her arms.

Leo saw it, too, and his eyes widened. "Guys, did you see...?"

Both Mikey and Donnie nodded.

Then the sand started to swirl around Shadow and Raph, and the others knew that it couldn't be a sandstorm.

"Raph...get away from her," Donnie quietly warned his brother as he slowly stepped away with Leo and Mikey. "Now."

But Raph would budge, too worried about Shadow. "Shadow...?"

The teen bit her lower lip to the point that it started to bleed and closed her eyes, the tears sliding down her cheeks. "I'm...not a...a...!" she choked.

The sand started to swirl even faster and bits of it landed in Raph's eyes, burning them. "Ahh!" He covered his face with his arm. "Shadow!"

"I'm... _not_...a...!"

She could not bring herself to say that one word...but it consumed her mind and her entire being.

 _Clone._

Finally, something within her snapped and a terrible force was released. Lifting her head to the sky, she let out a blood-chilling scream that was full of so much pain and anguish. At the same time, the winds that surrounded her and Raph expanded and hit Donnie, Leo and Mikey with full force, knocking them off their feet.

Even the TCRI tower began to crumble and fall apart, debris and glass flying everywhere and heading straight for the three Turtles. A brave and protective Leo shielded his little brothers, wincing whenever a piece of metal or glass struck him.

Raph could not even move or see as the winds surrounded him, and he did not know how long it lasted, but by the time it finally settled down and the sands dispersed, Shadow was gone.

Realizing that it was finally over, Leo let go of his brothers and stood back up, shaking the sands off and pulling a small shard out of his left shoulder, hissing in pain.

Mikey coughed and spat out sand that flew into his mouth. "Wow, what just happened?"

"I can't believe it," Donnie looked around in amazement at the damage Shadow has caused. "Shadow inherited April's powers! But...even April wasn't capable of bringing down an _entire building_!"

"So what you're saying is, she's more powerful than April?" Leo asked.

"It's possible."

"So...where'd she go?" Mikey pointed to where Raph knelt.

The hotheaded Turtle slowly stood up and stared off into the distance, worried about the kid. Then he noticed the shoe prints in the sand. He immediately turned to his brothers. "Guys! We need to go after her!"

But they all seemed hesitant about following him.

"Um, Raph?" Donnie scratched the back of his metal neck. "Shadow's...unstable right now.

"Yeah, bro," Mikey nodded. "She need her space-"

"She's still just a kid!" Raph snapped, angered by their cowardice. "A good one! And she needs our help right now! You don't wanna follow? Fine! I'll go after her myself!" He ran into the direction of shoe prints, ignoring his brothers calling after him.

...

He panted as he ran across the desert wasteland, following the shoe prints that were left by Shadow. The sun was bearing down on him and he ran for nearly twenty minutes, but he was determined to find the kid.

Finally, to his great relief, he spotted her in the distance. She was standing with her back to him and didn't even turn to look at him even as he got closer. He stood next to her, waiting for a reaction, but she only continued to sulkingly look down at her feet and hug herself. He could see that her cheeks were still wet from the tears.

Taking a deep breath and resting his hands on his hips, Raph spoke to her in a stern yet soft voice. "Something happened back there, and I ain't leaving until you tell me what."

For a moment, Shadow remained silent with her eyes closed, slightly turning away from him. But she eventually spoke, although she still wouldn't look at him. "They lied to me," she croaked.

Raph raised an eye ridge. "Huh? Who lied to you about what?"

She sighed softly. "My parents...they lied about who I was. I'm not their daughter."

"Well...what makes you say that?"

"Nobody would tell me anything so I had to figure it out for myself. And I did." She slowly looked over at him with puffy red eyes. "I'm a clone, Raph."

Raph blinked. "What?"

"I'm a _clone_ ," she repeated with some agitation in her tone. "A clone of April's Mom."

He scratched his chin and shrugged. "Um, okay? So what if you are a clone?"

She looked at him like he was nuts. "You're kidding me, right? I mean, it's bad enough to know that you're adopted and everyone's been lying to you about who you really were all these years. But to find out that you were grown in a test tube and that you're the carbon copy of someone else...I mean, do you get what I'm saying here?"

Raph firmly nodded and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I get it. But you need to remember that your parents love you with all their hearts and they only lied to protect you."

Shadow scoffed. "Protect me from what? From the fact that I'm not even a real person?"

"You _are_ real, Shadow. You're just as real as everyone else."

"I don't even know what's real anymore!" she screamed, the tears falling down her cheeks again. "I don't know who or what I am! And I've been living a lie my entire f**king life!"

"It was _never_ a lie! You _are_ their daughter! You think genetics and all that other scientific crap determines what makes a family?! It _doesn't_!" Raph roughly jabbed her in the chest. "It's what's in _here_ that connects you to them!"

Still not convinced, Shadow slapped his hand away. "You just don't get it. I'm not even my own person." She turned away from him and hugged herself again. "I'm just...the _shadow_ of someone else."

Raph thought about to say to her at this point, seeing how distraught she was about being a clone. And he couldn't say that he blamed her. The poor kid was having doubts about who she was.

Then he knew just what to say and reached to gently touch her shoulder.

"Know what? It doesn't matter what everyone else sees you as. Whether they see a clone or a normal person in front of them, it doesn't matter. Even your parents don't get to decide who and what you are. It all depends on _you_. When you look in the mirror, what do _you_ see? _Who_ do you see?"

This time, Shadow slowly turned to look at him, her expression having been softened.

He smiled softly at her and continued. "Yeah, sure, you have an exact replica of Mrs. O'Neil's DNA. But DNA is nothing compared to the soul, and that's the part that really counts. Your soul is your own and no one else's."

He cupped her cheek and gently wiped the tears away. "You've got a light within you that shines brighter than even the sun, and with that light, you cast your own shadow. Never forget that."

At that moment, it felt like she was listening to her own Uncle Raph speak. Even though they were worlds apart, he was still with her, comforting and guiding her in her darkest times.

Hiccuping and sobbing like a little girl, Shadow hugged Raphael, letting out all of her emotions. The old Turtle soothingly rubbed her back and let her cry into his chest until she felt better.

A blue dragonfly that was resting on the branch of a dead bush flapped its wings and took off into the discolored sky.

 **Happy Holidays!**


	39. Rolex Watches And Heartbreaks

**This chapter is dedicated to BrightLotusMoon and Celeste38 for being good friends. Also, I'd like to thank all the people here on FanFiction who have been so good to me. I love you all. :)**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

Gaia woke up sad and depressed that morning, missing her gap-toothed Turtle badly. Even Celeste couldn't lift her spirits as the cat purred and rubbed against her legs affectionately.

She'd spent the whole night painting in her private art room, and all she could think about was Donnie, so she ended up with a beautiful portrait of her lover. But staring at it caused her heart to ache even more and she had to cover it with a cloth. Yet she could not resist walking into the room the following morning and removing it so that she could look at that face she loved so much.

She gently brushed her palm against the portrait's cheek, wishing with a heavy heart that she was touching the real deal. But thanks to her insensitivy and insecurities, she may never be able to ever again. She knew deep down that Donnie would always love and cherish her unlike the other previous men in her life, so why couldn't she say yes to his proposal?

"I _will_ marry him," she said to herself with finality. "I will propose to him myself." She giggled at the concept, since it's usually the man who proposes to the woman, not the other way around. But she had to make it up to him somehow. And since Donnie wasn't a ring person, she could get him a watch, or better yet, a Rolex.

She quickly got dressed in a purple silk, knee-length dress, which was Donnie's personal favorite, and put on her favorite teardrop-shaped orange beryl earrings and turtle-shaped pendant. Before she walked out the door, she knelt down to scratch Celeste's back and the cat purred and lifted her rear and tail in response.

"Mommy will be back later tonight," Gaia cooed. "Wish me luck."

...

"This is _perfect_."

Her eyes sparkled with the purple iolite gemstones that adorned the white gold Rolex in her hand. The price for the luxurious watch was ridiculously high and she couldn't afford it with her current teacher salary, but his forgiveness was worth every penny.

"You won't find a better Rolex anywhere else in New York," the store owner said as he carefully wrapped the watch in paper. "You must really love this guy."

Gaia smiled to herself. "Yeah, I really do," she softly said as she placed the wrapped up watch in her purse.

The door behind her dinged as it opened and the owner looked up from his desk to greet the customer with a smile. "Hello! Welcome to _Jesse's Divine._.." His smile and jaw dropped when he saw who it was.

When Gaia saw his reaction, she curiously glanced back at the door...

...and then a cold, metallic hand firmly grabbed her by the throat. She let out a strangled gasp as the Shredder looked straight into her amber eyes with his red glowing ones.

"Gaia Anastasia Mako," he growled in his chilling mechanical voice.

The store owner slowly reached under his desk to push the panic button, but the Shredder stabbed the desk and the blades pierced right through the emergency device. He turned his attention back to Gaia and narrowed his eyes at her.

"You are coming with me," he declared as he dragged her out of the store.

Gaia struggled to get out of his grasp, and when she figured that she wasn't physically strong enough, she resorted to using her powers. But before she could even concentrate, something cold and metallic was suddenly placed on her forehead and her mind went blank.

"Ah, ah, ah, sweetheart!" Subprime chuckled darkly as he adjusted the mind-controlling device on her head. The former Kraang commander was back in his usual Irma-bot body and carried the now unconscious Gaia in his mechanical arms.

But then all of a sudden her body started going into spasms and Subprime almost dropped her. He quickly but gently set her down on the sidewalk as she continued to writhe wildly.

"Knight, what is happening?" Shredder demanded.

"I...I don't know," Subprime stammered. "I-I think she's having a-a seizure."

"Seizure?!" Shredder stomped over to Subprime and pointed his blades inches from the other Utrom's face. "This had better not be _your_ fault," he threatened.

"H-Hey!" Subprime gulped. "M-Maybe it's natural! You know how weak and fragile humans are!"

"For your sake," Shredder growled as he stepped away and lowered his blades, "you had better hope that is the case, because she is the only known gifted human left in the world. And if she dies...then so will you."

"She won't! She'll be fine! Look! See? She's stopped seizing!" Subprime pointed to the now limp Gaia on the floor. "And my sensors are picking up a heartbeat. It's slow but it's there." He bent down to pick her up again. "Now can we get to the lab already?"

* * *

"Gaia?"

Donnie walked into her apartment several hours later with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Lilies and cherry blossoms, her favorite.

When she didn't answer, he called out to her again. "Gaia? Babe? It's Donnie. You home?"

He heard a faint meow coming from the kitchen and saw Celeste resting on the counter. The cat flattened her ears and hissed at him as usual.

"Yeah, nice to see you, too, Celeste," Donnie deadpanned. He then took a vase out from one of the cabinets and filled it with water before placing the flowers in it. He smiled at the thought of Gaia walking in and being pleasantly surprised by his visit and gift for her, if she wasn't too mad at him. Was she even in the apartment?

He decided to go look for her and started with the art room. When he walked inside, he was surprised to see that she had painted a portrait of himself. She even included his robotic body parts instead of improving his image by making him appear completely normal. His heart clenched when he realized that she loved him for who he was and wouldn't change a thing about him, not even his cybernetic implants.

And how did he repay her for her undying and total commitment? By acting like an angry fool and slamming the door in her face. Letting out a shaky sigh, he closed the door and looked for her some more. But she was nowhere in the apartment and he figured that she was running errands, so he decided to call her.

He dialed her number and waited for her response, but it went straight to voicemail and he began to worry. "Why aren't you answering?" he muttered as he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the counter. "Hey, Celeste, you wouldn't happen to know where Momma went, would you?"

The cat licked her jaw and yawned before she curled up in a ball and went to sleep. Donnie sighed and rested his chin in one hand while reaching to stroke Celeste with the other. "I just hope she's okay."

* * *

"...all the gifted humans, it had to be _her_."

"Hey, don't look at _me_ , Ch'rell! You were the one who operated on April O'Neil and removed the Kraang components from her brain!"

Gaia groggily opened her eyes and tried to move her hands, but they were restrained. She looked down and saw that she had been strapped to a metal table. She appeared to be in a dark lab and was surrounded by all kinds of strange technology and equipment. She could also feel the cold metal of the strange headband that prevented her from using her powers.

Shredder and Subprime were standing at the far side of the room arguing. "If we are to use her," the Foot Clan leader pointed to her as he spoke to his comrade, "then we must surgically remove whatever is causing those frequent seizures."

"No! If you performe surgery on her, you could damage her brain!" Subprime angrily yelled. "And then she'll be useless to us!"

"Would you rather that she have a seizure while she's in the machine and inadvertently set off the bomb? She could kill us all."

"Yeah, I know, but you-" Subprime froze when he noticed that Gaia was awake and listening in on their conversation.

Shredder turned and narrowed his red eyes atu her. "Ah, Ms. Mako. You are awake."

Gaia scowled at him and tugged at the straps that held her wrists down. "What do you want with me, creep?" she demanded.

"To put it simply," he chuckled darkly as he approached the table, "your mind. You posses the same mental abilities that April O'Neil possessed...and so much more."

"Why do you want my mind?"

"Why don't you go into _his_ mind and find out?" Subprime snickered. "Oh, that's right. You _can't_!" The Utrom laughed maniacally but neither Gaia nor Shredder were amused.

"Knight, shut up," Shredder growled threateningly at him.

Subprime immediately stopped laughing and pouted, crossing his mechanical arms. "Oh, come on. You gotta admit that was pretty funny."

Shredder ignored him and continued to speak to Gaia. "We've read your files and looked up your history. Your grandmother was abducted and experimented on by the Kraang when she was a child. Your mother inherited her Kraang DNA and therefore passed it on to you. You have a very powerful mind, Ms. Mako, but you've barely even tapped your full potential. And with your help, I will cleanse this planet of all humanity and recreate it into world of mutants."

Gaia stared up at him with disbelieving eyes. "Wow. Donnie was right...you _are_ insane. If you think I'm going to help you destroy the world-"

"Of course you won't, Ms. Mako...at least not of your own free will." He tapped her headband twice, making her shiver. "This little device not only serves as a power nullifier, but it also controls the mind of whoever wears it. You _will_ obey my every command, Ms. Mako, and you will use your powers to unleash my judgement upon mankind."

"And...what happens to me after you destroy mankind?" Gaia nervously asked, dreading the answer.

"I'm not expecting you to survive," he coldly stated. "But take comfort in knowing that your sacrifice will create a better world for your mutant friends."

Shredder left the table and gestured for Subprime to follow him to the door. "Come, Knight. We have much work to do."

"Donnie will come for me!" Gaia shouted, catching Shredder's attention. She flashed him a smug smirk. "And when he gets here, you'll be sorry you ever messed with me!"

Shredder chuckled and nodded. "Oh, he will come for you, alright, but _I'm_ not the one who's going to be sorry." To Gaia's horror, he pulled out her Rolex watch from under his belt. He held it out for her to see before he completely crushed it in his hand. The gemstones, bits of glass, and gears clattered on the floor, and Gaia's amber eyes filled with tears as the two villains left her alone in the dark room.

She clenched her eyes shut as she laid her head back on the table, the hot tears flowing down her cold cheeks. "Donnie...I'm so sorry."

* * *

"Mghh...Gaia...sorry...'ove you...huh?"

Donnie's eyes slowly fluttered open as he reached for the warm pillow on his head. It felt awfully fluffy, almost like a...

"OW!"

He yelped when he felt sharp teeth bite down on his finger. The "pillow" jumped off his head and he sat upright, looking at his surroundings. To his dismay, he realized that he had fallen asleep on the kitchen counter waiting for Gaia to return. Celeste jumped to the floor and hissed at him before she dashed into the living room.

Donnie sighed and brushed the white fur off his head. "I hate it when she sleeps on my head," he grumbled. He glanced up at the clock and was shocked to learn that it was almost 10:00 pm.

"Gaia?" he called out again. "You home yet?"

No one answered back, and now Donnie was beginning to worry about his girlfriend. He pulled out his phone and tried calling her again.

And once again, it went straight to voicemail.

At that moment, Raph's words from last night echoed in his mind. _"Don, what if something happens to her before you two get a chance to make up?"_

"Oh, god..." Donnie's voice trembled as the realization slapped him hard in the face and the fear stabbed his heart. "What have I done? Gaia...!"

 **Gaia's been captured! Will Donnie save her before it's too late?! :0**


	40. The Last City

**The annual TMNT FanFiction Competition is coming up! I'm so excited! :D**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"Hello?"

April was in complete darkness, surrounded by a thick fog. She had her red hair back and was no longer pregnant, but she was still so weak that she could barely stand. As the fog started to clear a bit, she could make out a hunched figure sitting on the ground. It looked like a person with short blonde hair and in a leather jacket with a winged skull embroidered on the back.

Wait, blonde hair?

"Sh...Shadow?" April whispered. "Baby?" Slowly with her wobbly feeble legs, she walked toward the person. "Shadow, is that you?" her voice raised a little in desperation.

The blonde person slowly turned her head, and just as April suspected, it was her daughter. Her eyes were red send puffy, like she had been crying.

April choked back a sob the second she saw her baby's face. "Shadow...!"

After a momentary pause, Shadow spoke in a quiet, hoarse voice, "Why'd you lie to me, Mom?"

April had no idea what she was talking about. "W-What, sweetie?"

"Why...?" Shadow shook her head and closed her eyes, a single tear leaking and sliding down her left cheek. She turned away and the fog closed in again.

"Nonononono!" April tried to move her legs but couldn't and she watched helplessly as her daughter disappeared in the fog. "Shadow, don't leave! Please! Shadow?! SHADOW!"

"April?"

A frantic, older feminine voice called out to her in the distance. It sounded familiar...

It called out to her again. "April, please help!"

"...Gaia?" April called out.

"April, he has me!"

"Who-Who has you?"

"The Shredder! He kidnapped me!"

"Wh-What?! Oh, my god!"

Gaia was sobbing. "Look, I don't have much time, so listen carefully! TCRI! That's where I am now! You need to tell Donnie and the others! He plans on using me to...!" Her voice trailed off and then there was complete silence.

"Gaia?!" April began to panic. "Gaia! GAIA!"

...

"...pril! Red, wake up!"

She woke up to her husband leaning over her and holding the sides of her head, fear in his brown eyes. "April, it's okay," Casey whispered soothingly to her. "You had a nightmare."

She was back in their bedroom, and her little boy was still in her womb. After a few moments of controlling her unsteady, rapid breathing, she sighed softly and laid her bald head back on the pillow. "It wasn't a nightmare, Casey."

Casey sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her cheek. "Yes, it was, hon."

She looked up at him. "No, it wasn't," she firmly told him. "I saw Shadow, and I felt her presence. It was very faint and brief, but I felt her. And Gaia...she's in trouble."

Casey raised an eyebrow. "Gaia?"

April nodded. "Yes. She's been kidnapped. We need to tell Donnie."

* * *

 ** _Alternate timeline..._**

They decided to set up camp for the night. Thankfully the tank wasn't damaged by Shadow's telekinetic outbursts so they still had their ride, but the question was, where would they go now that TCRI was discovered to have been empty?

There was one other option: to travel to the Last City, the metropolitan capital of the world. But the city was filled human-eating mutants, and it is presumably where the famous Emperor lived. Bringing Shadow there would put her in harm's way, for sure. But it could be their only hope of finding a way to get her back home.

The five sat around a warm fire with large rocks as their seats. Leo, Raph, and Mikey were all roasting marshmallows that were generously given to them by the people of the canyon city. Donnie, being all robot, couldn't eat marshmallows, of course. Shadow was too depressed to even eat and numbly watched the fire, hugging her legs close to her chest.

Raph would occasionally glance over at her, and he felt so bad for the poor kid. She had just discovered that she was actually the clone of Mrs. O'Neil, and how do you handle such a overwhelming revelation?

"So..." Mikey wiped some melted marshmallow from the corners of his lips, "to the Last City or not to the Last City? 'Cause that's the question right now."

"I always said it should be the last _last_ resort," Donnie sighed, "but we're pretty much out of options now."

"Well, let's ask Shadow first," Leo suggested as he turned to the teen. "How do you feel about going to the Last City?"

"I don't really care," Shadow murmured, looking down at her feet.

Raph was greatly concerned about her response and reached over to gently touch her on the shoulder in comfort, but he didn't say anything to her.

Leo, on the other hand, voiced his concerns. "Shadow, are you okay?"

Raph glanced sharply over at Leo. "You're kidding, right?" he snapped. "How can she be okay?"

"Yeah, dude," Mikey piped in. "She just found out that's she's a...well...C-L-O-"

"I can spell, Mikey," Shadow bitterly told him, lifting her eyes from the ground and glaring at him.

Donnie slapped Mikey on the side of the head. "Way to go, Michael," he scolded.

"Sorry," Mikey mumbled ashamedly, grabbing another marshmallow and putting it on his stick. "Think of it this way, Shadow, you already live in a family of mutants and freaks. Discovering that you're a clone shouldn't, you know, make you feel like an outcast. Us freaks gotta look out for each other."

Although Mikey was genuinely trying to help, he only made things even worse and Shadow sighed heavily as she buried her head in her knees.

"Mikey," Raph growled, "just shut up, okay?" He gave Shadow a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before he stood up from his rock. "Look, I don't want to go to the Last City any more than any of you do, and we'd be bringing Shadow into very dangerous territory. But we have to find a way to get her back home, and I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll die before I let anyone touch a single hair on her head."

Leo smiled and nodded. "I couldn't agree more, Raph. I'm not afraid of this Emperor or anyone else who lives in the City." He then turned to Shadow. "We'll protect you no matter what, Shadow."

"He's right, Shadow," Donnie nodded. "We're practically family, and we'll do whatever we can to get you back into your dimension."

"Yeah!" Mikey grinned. "And even if we do end up being mauled or tortured to death, at least we've lived a good life, right? Well, I mean, the last fifty years pretty much sucked, but...y'know."

Shadow was touched by the Turtles' loyalty to her, even though they weren't _her_ Turtles, and a small smile formed on her lips. "Thanks, guys," she softly said. "So...how long will it take for us to get to the Last City?"

Donnie pulled a map from out of a bag and folded it out. "Well, according to this map, we're about 800 miles away from the City, and if we continue to travel at a speed of 70 miles per hour staring tomorrow morning, we should arrive there within 11 hours."

"Really?" Raph grinned and crossed his arms. "That's not so bad."

* * *

 ** _Twenty-one hours later..._**

"Are we there yet?" Mikey groaned.

Raph's left eye twitched as his youngest brother asked him that question...for the thirtieth time. Yes, he had been keeping track. He turned around in the driver's seat and glared daggers at the desert hermit. "Mikey...I swear if you ask me that one more time-"

"Breathe, Raph," Leo calmly told his immediate younger. He sat in the passenger's seat next to Raph's. He grinned when he spotted lights in the distance before them. "Besides, I think we've finally arrived."

Upon hearing those words, Shadow got out of her seat and made her way to the front window of the tank. The closer they got, the more she could make out skyscrapers that were illuminated with flickering lights. They passed a sign that read in big, bold letters, "WELCOME TO THE LAST CITY IN THE WORLD".

"Ah, you guys smell that?" Mikey took a big whiff and sighed blissfully. "Smells just like New York. Brings back memories."

"Okay, Shadow," Raph glanced back at the teen. "You need to keep that bandana over your lower face so no one will recognize that you're a human."

Shadow nodded and put the bandana on. "No argument there."

"OKay, so what's the plan here?" Mikey asked the group. "We just go around asking people where to find any Kraang tech?"

"Pretty much," Donnie said with a nod.

"But isn't the entire city, like, the size of Rhode Island? That'll take forever!"

"Maybe we'll get luck and the first person we come across will know something."

...

"Sorry, fellas," a mutant coyote with a golden tooth gruffly told the group as he cut a large hunk of meat in half. "Don't know anything about Kraang." He held up a slice of meat that was dripping with blood. "Human meat is half-off today!"

Shadow had to turn away and nearly threw up in her mouth. It wasn't the worst thing she'd seen since she arrived, though. Just a few minutes ago, she saw a group of mutants placing bets as two Gum Persons fought each other viciously. The fight ended when one Gum Person ripped the other one's insides out with its teeth.

"No, thanks," Leo politely declined and they all walked out of the meat market together. "Well," he sighed, "that was the nineteenth person we've asked so far, and still nothing."

"You know it's times like these when I wish we still had the Internet," Donnie said with his rabbit ears back.

A drunken mutant skunk stumbled past them, mumbling incoherently before he suddenly sprinted toward a nearby trashcan and puked out all of his stomach's contents into it.

A few female mutant strippers stood on the sidewalk, asking people who were passing by if they wanted to have some 'fun'. For a few bucks, of course. Earlier Raph had to push one of them away since she kept following him and she stormed off cussing him out.

A yellow rusted cab honked at the line of cars before it, and the driver, a mutant muskrat, poked his head out and raised an angry fist, spitting out all kinds of profanity. One of the drivers in front of him cursed at him back and even flipped him off.

"You're sure we're not in New York anymore?" Shadow asked the others. "'Cause it sure stinks like it."

They eventually came across a great golden statue of the Emperor in a park, around which a few mutants knelt and prayed to their god. The plaque at the base read, "Dedicated To Our Lord And Ruler, The Emperor."

"Huh," Mikey tilted his head a bit as he looked up at the statue. "He kinda looks like Lady Liberty. Only creepier."

"Everyone here seems to view him as some kind of deity," Donnie observed.

Raph snorted and crossed his arms. "More religious bogus. This Emperor guy is playing these people for saps."

A mutant brown wolf who happened to hear Raph's remark growled and spun the Turtle around so that they would face each other. "Hey! What'd you just say about our god, nonbeliever?!" he demanded.

Raph only sneered at the wolf, ready to challenge him. "I said, your god is a phony. You'd have to be a moron to believe in any so-called deity."

More and more angry mutants approached the Turtles and a panther roughly shoved Raph, nearly making him tumble to the ground. "You speak blasphemy, Turtle!" he shouted.

Instinctively, Raph shoved back and a fight ensued. As the Turtle and panther wrestled, the wolf joined in and bit down on Raph's shoulder. Leo moved in to protect his brother and kicked the wolf away, but then a gorilla grabbed him in a chokehold. Donnie and Mikey tried to pyre the gorilla off of Leo while Shadow kicked a raccoon in the groin and elbowed a fox in the gut.

A loud buzzing sound caused the mutants to scatter and a light blinded the Turtles.

"What is going on here?!" a gruff male voice shouted.

The light was turned off and a group of mutans in body armor pointed their large weapons at the five. The light that blinded them came from the headlights of their patrol cars. Shadow and the Turtles immediately put their hands in the air and Leo slowly stepped forward.

"We don't mean any harm, officers," he calmly told them. Unfortunately, his grotesque appearance only made the officers even more nervous and they all pointed their guns at him.

"They speak blasphemy!" the mutant brown wolf shouted, pointing at the Turtles. "They called the Emperor a phony!"

The officers all lowered their eyebrows and eye ridges at the five, obviously just as offended as the other mutants.

Raph refused to recant, however. "Only because it's true! This whole city is full of brainwashed morons!"

"Raph, shush!" Donnie whispered harshly to him.

But it was too late. "So," the leading officer stepped forward and straightened his pants, "you think our god's a phony, do ya? Well, you all will see just how much of a phony he is when we bring you to the Sovereign Temple."

The mutants murmured to each other and some grinned wickedly at the Turtles, which, undoubtedly, was a _really_ bad sign.

* * *

The temple was stunningly beautiful on the outside. The walls were made of pure gold as were all the doors, each of which had engraved images of the sun. Right next to it was the Soverign Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the world. It, too, was made of gold, but there was strangely only one window, which was at the very top.

"Geez," Mikey mumbled as he was being led along with the others into the temple by the officers. "This guy sure likes gold."

When they stepped into the main hall, they were met with the sight of a beautiful stained glass window. It depicted a giant version of the Emperor, who stood over the city with his arms spread out. Behind his head was the sun, which gave him a divine appearance.

A group of mutants in golden silk were standing in front of the altar, singing in what sounded like Latin. The moment Shadow and the Turtles' footsteps started echoing in the hall, they all stopped singing and turned around. The tallest singer was the most adorned. She had long black smooth hair that had glittering golden highlights, and she wore a long golden necklace with moonstones. Her face was hidden behind a golden human mask that looked just like the Emperor's.

The officers roughly pushed the Turtles and Shadow onto their knees and the chief approached the choir. "We apologize for interrupting you, High Priestess" he said with a bow, "but this..." He turned around and pointed to Raph. "...nonbeliever said horrible things about the Emperor. He needs to be punished, him and his friends."

The masked woman, presumably the Priestess, went down the steps of the platform. She walked past the officer and approached the Turtles. Although Shadow couldn't see the her eyes, she could feel them staring intensely at her, almost as if she was...entering her mind. Reading her.

Why did this woman feel so familiar?

After a few moments of staring at them, the High Priestess turned to the chief. "You and your men must leave. I will seek council with the Emperor on this matter."

The officers all bowed to her before they hurried out of the hall and closed the doors behind them, leaving the Turtles and Shadow alone with the Priestess and the choir.

"You five are to stay where you are until I return," the Priestess said as she went up some stairs.

Raph scoffed after she disappeared. "Yeah, right. Like we're staying here. Come on, you guys, let's-" He grunted as he tried to move, but he was frozen stiff. "Hey. Wh-Why can't I move?"

The others tried to move, but like Raph, they couldn't. Some invisible force had a strong hold on them.

"Who _is_ that lady?" Mikey whimpered.

Shadow swallowed around a lump in her throat. "I think I know, but I really hope that I'm wrong."

For the next twenty minutes, they all stood like that, with the whole choir keeping a close eye on them. They just stood and waited for their judgement. Then they heard footsteps going down the stairs. At first they assumed that it was the Priestess, but they quickly realized that there was more than one person coming down.

The first person to reach the bottom of the stairs was the Priestess. The second person was none other than the ruler of the post-apocalyptic world, himself: the Emperor.

Shadow held her breath as he slowly approached them, and he stopped right in front of her. He was quite tall and towered over her, and her heart started to race as he gently touched her cheek. His robot hand was cold, but that wasn't why she shivered. She faintly heard Raph yelling, but she was too frightened out of her mind to even comprehend what he was saying.

The world seemed to stop spinning as Shadow and the Emperor stared at each other.

Finally, he spoke in a chilling, mechanical voice, "Welcome to _my_ world, Shadow Jones."


	41. Faith And Hope

**Sorry that I haven't been updating as much. We're moving to a new house so a lot of crap has to be done. :/**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"Thank you all for being my dinner guests tonight."

One moment, Shadow and the Turtles were being held prisoner by the Emperor. The next, they were all sitting at a table in his private dining hall, which the ruler of the world sitting at the far end.

They were being served scrumptious-looking meals, none of which included human meat, as assured by the Emperor, himself. A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as fish dipped in butter sauce, and potato salad. It was all very tempting to eat, but no one dared to take a bite and they all simply stared at their plates.

"Why aren't you eating? Afraid that it's poisoned?" the Emperor chuckled slowly and mechanically, it was very creepy and sent chills down Shadow's spine.

Raph glared over at him. "Why aren't you eating? Unless you don't even have a stomach, freak?"

"Raph, shhh!" Leo harshly shushed him from across the table.

The Emperor folded his robotic hands. "I see," he calmly said. "You do not trust me."

"No duh," Raph scoffed bitterly, crossing his arms. "You destroyed the world and everyone we knew and loved. And suddenly you're giving us a free meal out of the kindness of your heart? I ain't buying it."

"Yeah," Shadow agreed with him, looking at the Emperor suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," the Emperor said as he shook his head. "I simply wish to become acquainted with all of you, especially Miss Jones."

"Why her?" Mikey asked with a mouthful of fruits, having given in to his hunger. His brothers all glared at him disapprovingly, but he was used to it.

"She is the very last of her kind. A rare specimen."

"Yeah, thanks to you," Raph hissed. "So what are your plans with her? Put her in a jar and add her to whatever sick collection you've got?"

 _Please say no_ , Shadow begged in her mind, biting her lower lip.

"Of course not," the Emperor said. "You see, my High Priestess told me that Miss Jones is gifted with special abilities that few humans possessed during their reign over Earth. She is the product of Kraang experimentation."

Mikey looked at him surprised, reaching over the table to grab the bowl of potato salad. "Wait...how did she know all this? She a fortune teller or something?"

"My Gaia is a very gifted mutant, much like Miss Shadow. She can read minds and so much more."

 _Gaia._

Shadow instantly felt her heart drop. Her suspicions were proven to be true. "Gaia? As in, Gaia Anastasia Mako?"

"Yes," the Emperor nodded. "When I found her fifty years ago, she was lost, confused, and scared, with no memory of her life prior to the bombing. I took her under my wing and in return, she used her abilities to serve me and help build a new, better world for all mutants."

"Oh, yes, thank you so much for killing all our friends and transforming our world into a desert wasteland," Raph bitterly and sarcastically said with a scowl.

"Raph!" Leo scolded his younger brother, nervously glancing over at the Emperor.

"I understand your pain and anger," the supreme ruler calmly said to Raph. "I really do. But you must understand, sometimes, in order to create a better world, sacrifices have to be made."

This statement made Raph even more furious and he got up from his seat, his hands clenched into fists. "You understand our pain?" he snarled. "Donnie can't even remember what it's like to breathe in the fresh air or feel the warm the sunlight or taste food. Mikey had to live alone in the desert for fifty years. Fifty years! And you want to talk about sacrifice? Leo became the way he is today because he pushed us all to safety on that day. We didn't ask for any of this. We didn't want your new world."

He knocked over his chair and stomped over to where the Emperor sat. "Everyone looks at you like you're God. But I know the truth: there is no God." His face was now inches away from the Emperor's mask. "And even if there is, you're not Him."

There was complete silence in the room, and everyone else waited for the Emperor's response to Raph's disrespectful attitude and bold statement. For a moment, he just stared at the Turtle, then he slowly lifted his hand.

He patted Raph on the shoulder a few times in a friendly manner and nodded his head. "You are right. I am not a god. But every civilization has to have a deity whom they could turn to for wisdom, comfort, and more importantly, hope. I gave hope to these people when they needed it the most."

Raph sneered at him and pulled away from his touch. "No, you brainwashed them all, just like any religious nut who's hungry for power. And I don't know what you have planned for Shadow, but if you think we're leaving her alone with you, you've got another thing coming."

"I assure you, Raphael, no harm will befall her. And if you feel the need to stay at her side, then by all means do so. And as atonement for all the pain I've caused you, I will help her get back to her own dimension."

Shadow gasped softly. This was the first good news she had heard in a long time. "Really? You can do that?"

"Of course. And in the meantime, you all are welcomed to stay here for the night, or longer if needed. I will have my servants provide you comfortable beds in the nursery."

"Nursery?" Mikey snorted, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously? Do we look like toddlers to you?"

"Don't be rude, Mikey," Donnie scolded him, before he turned to the Emperor. "We very much appreciate your hospitality, Your Highness, and we accept."

Leo nodded and smiled politely. "Yes. We're very grateful."

Raph merely huffed and walked away from the table and toward the exit.

"Raph, where are you going?" Leo called after him.

"Outside," Raph said as he pushed the doors open. "It stinks in here."

Mikey frowned and held his hands up. "Wasn't me this time, I swear."

Raph groaned and rolled his eyes. "No, Mikey, I meant him," he nodded at the Emperor. "'Cause something fishy's going on around here." The whole room echoed after the doors slammed shut.

* * *

 **Fifty years ago...**

 _"Raph, we should probably stop searching," Donnie's robotic voice sounded tired and defeated. He stood by in his brand new Metalhead body and watched as his brother continued to dig through the debris and rubble for any survivors._

 _The Mutagen Bomb hit New York a few hours ago, leaving the city in ruins. Millions of horribly mutated bodies were scattered all about them. They didn't even look human anymore, more like giant chewed up wads of gum with tiny limbs. The Turtles recognized a few of them, though: General Griffin, Jack Kurtzman, and even Mr. Murakami. Or at least Donnie recognized them. Raph lost most of his memories after the explosion. All he could really remember was his other two brothers, Leo and Mikey._

 _Raph desperately searched for any survivors. His hands starting to bleed from all the digging and he was utterly exhausted, the sheer determination being the only thing keeping him from dropping to the ground._

 _"Raph, come on," Donnie sighed, his rabbit ears dropping in a disheartened manner._

 _"Donnie, either you shut it or you help me!" Raph snapped, tossing a brick aside._

 _"Raph, there's no one else. It's only us."_

 _"You don't know that!"_

 _"Actually, I do. According to my thermal heat sensors-"_

 _Raph whipped his head around and glared at Donnie with wild, burning eyes. "SCREW YOUR SCIENCE, DONNIE!" he screamed as he threw a brick at the robot's direction. Donnie moved out of the way in time, though it was barely much of an effort as Raph's throw was weak due to fatigue. "I don't care what your little gadgets say, I'm not giving up!"_

 _"Okay, I've had enough," there was irritation in Donnie's voice. "Raph, don't make me-" He stopped mid-sentence as his ears went up and he turned his head to the West._

 _Raph noticed him looking into the distance and stopped digging. "What is it?"_

 _"I'm picking up something," Donnie said as he pushed a small button on the side of his head that enhanced his vision. "About a mile away. Three lifeforms."_

 _Alerted, Raph stood up from the rubble. "Mutant or human?"_

 _"I'm...not sure."_

 _Raph wasted no time in running to the_ _Shellraiser and hopping into the driver's seat. "Well, then come on!"_

 _"Raph, wait!" Donnie ran after him. "We don't know what's out there!"_

 _But the Shellraiser started and Raph honked the horn impatiently. Sighing and shaking his head, the robot Turtle stepped into the vehicle, and the moment he did they sped off._

 _..._

 _"Hey! Quit hoggin'!"_

 _"Shaddup! You quit hoggin'!"_

 _"The thigh is the most delicious part. Try it."_

 _Three mutant raccoons fed off the carcass of a gum person they found in the rubble. They never tasted human meat before, and in a desperation to save themselves from starvation, they started to eat the flesh of gum people, which was surprisingly good. Delicious, even. One of them even wore the dead gum person's black and white bandana on his head._

 _Their ears perked up when they heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and swiftly turned around. A large truck came to a screeching halt a few feet away from them, and a mutant Turtle wearing a red mask hopped out. His emerald green face paled into a light moss color when he saw what the raccoons were feasting upon._

 _"Sheesh," Raph said in disgust, his beak wrinkling at the pungent smell. "You guys hungry?"_

 _"You see anything else to eat around here, smartass?" the raccoon with the bandana snapped, his nose wet from the blood of the gum person._

 _"Okay, no need to get all defensive. I just don't think that's healthy for you."_

 _"My brother has a point," Donnie stepped out of the Shellraiser and approached the group. "That body has been contaminated with mutagen. Who knows what could happen if you digest it."_

 _"You think we care about that?" another raccoon scoffed. "We're starving!"_

 _"Forget it, Donnie," Raph sighed. "If they want to get sick from eating a rotten, mutated corpse, then let..." He stopped talking when he noticed the hockey mask that was lying on the ground next to a raccoon. It was painted with the colors of the American flag, red and white stripes and white stars over a shade of blue at the top. It triggered something within the depths Raph's mind. A forgotten memory._

 _The memory of a teenage hockey vigilante who was his best friend._

 _"Where...where did you get that?" Raph softly asked the raccoons as he pointed at the mask._

 _"We took it off the human," the bandana raccoon picked it up and put it over his face. "Pretty cool, huh? I think he used to be a hockey player."_

 _"That's...that's Casey's mask," Donnie said in horror. "Could it be...?"_

 _Raph's gaze went down to the dead human's face. It was horribly disfigured and its eyeballs were the size of baseballs. It didn't look like_ _Casey Jones at all. But then he noticed the gap in its teethm the same exact gap his friend had._

 _A raccoon began to nibble on the human's tiny limp arm. "HEY, STOP THAT!" Raph yelled as he pushed the mutant away and sheltered Casey's body with his own._

 _"Oh, now you want to eat it?" the bandana raccoon sneered at the Turtle. "Well, forget it, pal! We saw it fir-!" He yelped when Raph tore the bandana off his head. "Hey! That's mine!"_

 _"No," Raph glared up at him and protectively held the bandana close to his chest. "It doesn't belong to you."_

 _All three raccoons stood up and cracked their knuckles. "Alright, pal," one of them growled. "You wanna fight for food? Let's fight." They moved in on Raph, and he didn't have his sai to protect himself with. But he refused to budge, and he endured all the punches and kicks to the face and sides._

 _Donnie quickly activated his new metal staff and turned on the electric defense mechanism. He zapped each and every one of them, prompting them to off whimpering and cursing._

 _Once they were gone, Raph looked over the dead body, which had been chewed upon and had a large amount of its flesh eaten off to the point that some bone was showing. Casey looked like a pride of lions had attacked him._

 _Raph's green eyes brimmed with tears as he held his best friend, who now lay dead in his arms. "I'm so sorry, Casey," he said in a choked up whisper. "I'm so sorry, man...!" He buried his face in the large fat neck of the mutated human and wept bitterly._

 _Donnie's rabbit ears dropped and he sorrowfully bowed his head, mourning Casey with his brother._

* * *

 _Twenty years had passed as Raph and Donnie traveled through the desert wasteland in their improved vehicle. They struggled to survive in dangerous environment with little to no water and full of deadly mutants. Raph had gotten bigger and stronger over the years, and he was even beginning to grow facial hair, as he by now had a stubbly chin. Bits and pieces of his life prior to the bomb were slowly coming back._

 _One day, they noticed that there were low on water, and although Donnie clearly didn't need food to survive, Raph was still of flesh and blood. Donnie detected life about seven miles away from where they were camped, and they hoped that whoever was out there had water to spare. They were even prepared to fight for it if needed to._

 _When they arrived at their destination, they saw a large_ _truck that had been knocked over and was smoking, and parked about a few feet away from it were several motorcycles. A gang of biker mutants surrounded a beagle couple and their small pup, who wore a red leather zip-up coat._

 _One of the gang members, a hyena with a green Mohawk, suddenly grabbed the child and pulled him out of his mother's arms. The mother screamed and lunged after the mutant, but he swiftly pulled out a gun and shot her in the chest, instantly killing her. The husband caught her and didn't even have a chance to weep as he, too, was immediately shot next. The child sobbed and reached out to his dead parents as the hyena dragged him away. His kidnapper held him under his arm and took off on his bike, the others following after him._

 _Raph felt his blood boil as he watched those thugs leave. It may had been a mutant-eat-mutant that he lived in, but he'd be damned if he was going to let a child get hurt or killed under his watch. "Let's go get 'em, Donnie."_

 _Donnie nodded and they both sprinted to the Shellraiser._

 _..._

 _They were able to catch up to the gang, but they mainly focused on the hyena who held the pup hostage. They zoomed past the other bikers to get to their target, who drove at the front. Raph honked his horn a few times, catching the hyena's attention._

 _He then grabbed the intercom and spoke to the hyena through the speakers. "We don't want any trouble! We just want the kid!"_

 _The hyena snarled at him and picked up speed. "Waste 'im, boys!" he yelled to his pals behind him._

 _The bikers began firing at the Shellraiser with their guns. Donnie immediately jumped into action and popped out through the hatch door of the roof. He hopped onto the back of the nearest motorcycle. "Need your ride," he told the driver right before he kicked him off his seat and took control of the wheel. He then used his electric staff to knock down the other bikers one by one until only the leader was left._

 _"Your boys can't protect you now!" Raph yelled at him as he gave chase. "Just give up the kid and we'll let you go!" Don't do anything stupid, he begged in his mind._

 _The hyena smiled sadistically as he held out the pup, who was wiggling in his grasp. "You want 'im? Here ya go!" He suddenly tossed the kid straight at the oncoming vehicle._

 _Raph yelled out profanities as he tried to swerve the truck and avoid the pup, but he was too late. The massive wheels of the Shellraiser ran over the kid as he rolled on the ground._

 _"So long, chumps!" the hyena laughed manically as he drove away._

 _Donnie jumped off his bike and ran to where the child lay, checking him over. Raph parked the Shellraiser and joined him, silently praying to himself that the boy would make it. The pup whimpered as he entire body shivered, blood coming out of his little black nose in streams._

 _"Donnie," a choked up Raph looked at his brother with pleading eyes. "He's gonna make it, right?"_

 _The robot Turtle said nothing for a moment before he slowly shook his head. "It doesn't look too good, Raph."_

 _Holding back a sob, Raph carefully took the child in his arms and held him. For the next ten minutes, he rocked him and softly spoke words of comfort as a father would for his baby. Inside, he was begging God or whatever deity existed up there to let the little one live, as he still had his whole life ahead of him._

 _But the pup's whimpering slowly died down until he eventually became very still and quiet._

 _He had failed to save another life._

 _..._

 _Conveniently, there was an abandoned church nearby, next to which was a small cemetery. Raph and Donnie buried the beagle family under a dead tree and decided to rest in the church for the night._

 _The stained glass window behind the altar had the image of Christ, holding a small lamb in his arms and looking at the congregation with brown eyes that were full of compassion. In the middle of the night, while Donnie sat on a pew in rest mode, Raph approached the altar. The red ninja mask that his father gave him was gone. He had taken the child's red leather jack and customized it into a brand new mask that also covered the top of his head._

 _He looked up at the window and straight into Christ's eyes. "People pray to you every day," his voice trembled with emotions and his eyes brimmed with angry tears, "and You never answer. You let billions of people die fifty years ago. You let all my friends and family die. And today You let that child die in my arms."_

 _The longer he looked at that image, the angrier he got, and his voice started to rise. "I'm starting to doubt if You even exist. If You really do exist, then fix all of this. Bring all those people back. Bring my friends back! Bring that kid and his parents back! Bring my brothers back! Do it! DO IT NOW!"_

 _All he got in response was the echo of his own voice, and the Christ in the window simply stared at him. There would be no such miracle today or any other day._

 _Infuriated, Raph jumped onto the altar and used all of his strength to lift the pulpit and throw it at the window. The sound of the glass breaking woke Donnie up and he was shocked to see that Raph had just destroyed church property._

 _And he didn't stop there. He knocked a crucifix off the wall and flipped a pew over in rage._

 _"Raph!" Donnie stood up from his own pew and ran down the aisle toward his brother. "Raph, stop!"_

 _The hotheaded Turtle ignored him and proceeded to tear the pages out of a Bible, ripping them into pieces. Donnie grabbed his arm one hand and pull the Bible away with the other._

 _"Stop," he said more calmly. "This won't help anything. Okay? Destroying a church won't bring everyone back."_

 _Wheezing and panting, Raph crumbled to the floor and hung his head. Teardrops landed on the dirty carpet. "I know," he rasped. "Nothing will bring them back."_

* * *

Raph stared up at the golden ceiling of the nursery as he lay on his mattress that the servants provided for him. Everyone else except Mikey, who was somewhere else in the temple, were all asleep in their beds. Raph couldn't fall asleep, himself. He couldn't afford to, not under the enemy's roof.

He glanced over at Shadow, who was snuggling with a plush dog that she found in one of the cribs. His heart clenched when he laid his eyes on the toy. It reminded him of the kid whom he failed to save thirty years ago. As long as he breathed, he wouldn't let anything happen to Shadow as well.

Just then a chorus started to sing in the main hall downstairs. Just for the heck of it, and because he couldn't sleep, he decided to go watch them. Very quietly he walked out of the nursery and approached a balcony, from which he could see the whole chapel. Down below, the choir sang softly in Latin as they stood before the altar, with the High Priestess, Gaia, leading them. Her voice stood out above the rest, as it was the most beautiful and angelic, yet it was also...melancholic in a way.

Sitting in pews were mutants, bowing their heads and folding their hands in prayer, obviously to the Sun King of the world. Raph scoffed and shook his head in disgust. What fools.

"They sound like angels."

Raph turned around and Mikey was standing behind him, a golden cup in his hand. He smiled and pointed at it. "Went for a glass of water."

Raph grunted and nodded before he turned his attention back to the choir and mutants below. Mikey stood next to him and watched as well, though he mainly focused on the Priestess. Her aura was so warm, and so familiar. Did they meet somewhere before?

"Hey," he gently nudged Raph on the shoulder with a grin on his face. "Think that Gaia lady is celibate? 'Cause I'd sure like to have her number."

Raph gave him an incredulous look. "Seriously? That's what you're thinking about right now?"

"Dude, we're over 60 and we're still virgins."

"That's not true! Uh...I-I mean...not all of us are...virgins," Raph muttered the last part.

Mikey looked at Raph shocked. "Huh? You mean...you and Mona Lisa...?"

Raph looked away as a blush appeared on his cheeks and he cleared his throat. "Yeah. Right before she left Earth."

"You two never talked again after that?"

Raph sadly looked down at the pews. "No. She received word that the Triceratons had declared war against the Salamandrians. Of course, she couldn't stay and sit the war out. She left to go join her fellow warriors. And given that she never returned after that, it wouldn't be in the wrong to assume that...she was killed in action."

Mikey sighed and gave his brother a comforting pat on the shell. "I'm so sorry, bro."

Raph chuckled softly and bitterly. "Yeah, well, that's life. My life, anyway. It seems that people keep dying all around me. You know, thirty years ago, I would've pinned the blame on God. And after years and years of unanswered prayers, I finally opened my eyes to the truth."

Mikey closed his eyes and sighed. Not this again. "The truth that there is no God?"

"You got it. I'm no longer a blind sheep like those losers down there."

"Raph, I really wish you wouldn't call religious people 'losers'."

"Mikey, the Emperor confessed that he was fake. He's a con artist. They're all con artists. Priests, Popes, evangelists. All con artists."

"Not all of them. There are good people out there, Raph. People who want to just spread the love and hope in a hopeless world. You just gotta be careful-"

"Mikey, stop."

"-because you're right. There are bad people who use that faith to their own advantage. But you can't dismiss-"

"Mikey, stop," Raph sternly said as he turned to directly face Mikey. "Please." He really didn't want to get into another theological debate.

Mikey set his cup down on the rail on the balcony and looked up Raph with soft blue eyes. "Raph, I believe that everything happens for a reason. It doesn't make sense sometimes, but if we're patient, we'll get our answers. Something good will come out of this. I know it."

Raph scoffed softly. "Is that right? So you think it was the Emperor's destiny to drop the bomb?" Mikey opened his mouth to answer, but Raph interrupted him. "Fact: fifty years ago, the world population was 7.6 billion. The Mutagen Bomb wiped out approximately 80% of that population. You know how many people that is?"

Mikey shook his head. "I-I'm not that good with math-"

"Six billion, Mikey. Six billion. All dead. And our friends were in that number. Casey, Shinigami, Murakami, all of them...dead. The survivors, the 'gum people', hundreds of thousands of them are killed by mutants every day. Every day. Humanity is on the brink of extinction. They can't defend themselves, and even if they could, they still can't reproduce. So it's only a matter of time before they completely disappear. And still you're trying to convince me that something good will come out of all this?"

Mikey's eyes were wet and he swallowed. "I know all of our friends are dead, Raph. I watched Karai die. I held her hand. For fifty years I lived in the desert all alone, with nothing but my memories of her and everything I ever loved. But even so, I never lost hope or my faith. Some things are worse than dying, bro, and losing your faith is one is them. There's a light at the end of every tunnel, no matter how long or dark it is."

Raph glanced away and bit his lower lip.

"And believe it or not," Mikey reached up to gently touch Raph on the shoulder, "even though we live in a post-apocalyptic world, we're actually better off than the other Turtles in Shadow's world are. Think about it. That Raph is missing an eye, Leo is a psycho serial killer, I'm dead, and worst of all, the family is broken. But we're still together, Raph. If anything, this whole apocalypse has made our bond even stronger than it ever was." He smiled warmly at his older brother and patted his arm. "Maybe that's why Shadow's here; to help us appreciate what we have."

Raph tried to fight back the tears, but they glistened in the candlelight that lit up the dark halls.

Mikey pretended not to notice and removed his hand from Raph's arm. "I can't answer for God. I don't why He allowed all of this to happen. But I do know that He has a plan for us. And maybe you're right. Maybe I am a fool like the rest of those religious 'losers'. But guess what? I'd rather be a happy loser than a miserable, bitter skeptic. You've been holding that bitterness and pain in your heart for too long, Raph. You gotta let it go." He placed his hand on Raph's chest. "Let it go."

Raph flinched and gritted his teeth. Now Mikey had gone too far. He harshly slapped Mikey's hand away and leaned down close to his face. "Screw you," he hissed with so much venom in his voice. "And screw your God!"

 _Slap!_

Raph's head snapped to the side after Mikey delivered a strong slap to his face. The normally gentle, pacifistic younger Turtle glared up at his brother, both hurt and angered by his hateful words. Raph rubbed his now red cheek and glared back at Mikey. Nothing else was said between them, and Mikey walked away with the golden cup, leaving Raph alone on the balcony.

The older Turtle leaned his shell against the rail and continued to rub his stinging cheek. But he knew that he deserved it. He was just surprised that Mikey had waited this long to finally hit him.

Mikey was right: he had become a bitter and miserable old Turtle, and he was pushing his own family away.

Ashamed, he covered his face with his hand


	42. Hand Of Destruction

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _"Mommy?"_

 _April lowered her book and saw her four-year-old daughter walking down the steps with her favorite plush kitty in her arms. She put her book down on the drawer next to the chair and stood up. "Sweetie, what are you doing up?" she softly asked as she hurried over to her. She then knelt down and gently brushed the bangs from her daughter's eyes. "Huh? Did you have another bad dream?"'_

 _Shadow nodded, hugging the kitty tighter._

 _"Well, come here." April lifted her up and sat back down on the chair. She set Shadow down on her lap and slowly rocked her as she began to sing._

 ** _Lullaby and goodnight, in the skies stars are bright_**

 ** _May the moon's silvery beams bring you sweet dreams_**

 ** _Close your eyes now and rest, may these hours be blessed_**

 ** _'Til the sky's bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn_**

 _As her mother continued to sing softly, Shadow rested her cheek against her mother's chest, feeling the comforting thump of her beating heart as she closed her eyes._

 ** _Lullaby and goodnight, you are mother's delight_**

 ** _I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake in my arms_**

 ** _Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I'm right beside you_**

 ** _Guardian angels are near, so sleep without fear_**

...

"...muuhh...Momma...huh?"

Shadow fluttered her eyes open and groggily looked around her. She remembered that she was staying at the Emperor's temple as a guest. Or so he said.

She was still suspicious of him, but what choice did she really have? After all, who better have access to any Kraang technology than the King of the world himself? She just had to get back to her own dimension, whatever it took.

Looking down, she realized that she was still holding the plush puppy that she found in one of the cribs. Her heart clenched with emotions as she thought about her friends and family back home, and she squeezed the doll at the memory of her mother. No doubt she was worried sick about her, waiting for her to come back.

Leo was snoring loudly as he lay on his mattress, while Donnie sat in a corner in sleep mode. Raph and Mikey were no where in sight, and now that she was up, she had the urge to go to the bathroom. She really didn't want to leave the nursery without at least one of the Turtles, but she didn't want to bother them after all that they had endured in the past few days. They were all exhausted, and she owed it to them to let them rest.

She slowly tiptoed out of the room and into the huge hallway, the walls of which were decorated with portraits of the Emperor at different angles. She looked around her and sighed. Finding the bathroom in this place wasn't going to be easy. Thankfully one of the Emperor's servants, a white mongoose, happened to be walking in her direction.

"Hey, uh, mister," Shadow said as she walked up to him.

The mongoose raised an eye ridge at her. "Excuse me?" he said in a voice that sounded feminine. "'Mister'?"

"Oh, sorry. I mean, ma'am."

The mongoose smiled approvingly and bowed her head. "Yes, Miss? How may I assist you?"

"Where's your restroom?"

The mutant turned around and pointed down the hall. "Go straight down and then turn to your left."

"Thanks," Shadow gave her a nod of gratitude and continued on her way. When she got to her destination, there were two doors, both of which had strange signs that she could not read. "Oh, great," she mumbled. "Hopefully I won't walk into the men's room."

Shrugging her shoulders, she chose the door on the right and walked in.

* * *

"Bless you, my siblings," the High Priestess folded her hands and bowed to the choir, who returned the gesture. "Until tomorrow." She waited until they all left the temple to remove her golden mask, but then a familiar voice from behind startled her and she quickly put it back on.

"How's it going?" Mikey greeted her with a wide toothy grin that obviously flirtatious.

She slowly turned to face him and gave a small nod. "Michelangelo."

Mikey chuckled and shook his head. "Please, call me 'Mikey'. So, your name's Gaia, huh? I think that's a pretty name."

"Thank you," she softly said, and Mikey could sense that she was smiling.

"So tell me, Gaia, what was your life like before the bomb hit?"

"I...don't remember."

Mikey's grin dropped. "Really? Nothing at all?"

She shook her head. "No. But my past is of little importance. The only thing that matters is my service to the Emperor."

He looked at her with sympathy. "Well, don't you _want_ to remember?"

Again she shook her head. "As I said before, it doesn't matter. The world that existed before the Great Explosion exists no longer. I owe it to my King for rescuing me and taking me in."

"But do you even know who or what he is?" Mikey asked. "I mean, I'd like to know more about my employers before I agree to work for them."

"Well," Gaia walked to the nearest pew and sat down, "I do know that he is from the stars, and that he had visited and conquered other worlds."

"Oh," Mikey took a seat next to her. "So is he an alien or what?"

Gaia paused for a moment, then she looked away from him. "I mustn't say anymore," she said in a voice that was so quiet and a bit fearful too.

Not wanting to push her any further and get her in trouble, Mikey nodded and quickly changed the subject. "What do you look like behind the mask? I'd like to see."

Gaia shook her head. "Oh, no, I mustn't. Only the Emperor can see my face."

"Awww, come on," Mikey put on a pouty face. "Just a little peek? I'll bet you're gorgeous."

She chuckled softly, already drawn to his warm and friendly personality. She cautiously looked around her before she reached for her mask. "Alright. Just a quick look."

Slowly she lifted the mask off her face, revealing herself to him. He couldn't help but gasp softly at her beauty. She appeared to be fairly young, in her mid-thirties possibly. Her eyes were a brilliant amber color, slit like a cat's eyes. Her nose was also feline-like, and when she removed the white veil that can covered her head, she was revealed to have pointy ears.

"Me- _wow_ ," Mikey whispered in awe, his mouth practically dooling. "Hello, Kitty."

A tint of pink flushed on her cheeks and she smiled shyly. "I'm flattered that you find my appearance appealing."

Mikey chuckled lasciviously. "Oh, yeah. Definitely appealing." Then he frowned as he suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute. Exactly how old _are_ you?"

"I am sixty-nine years old, about to turn seventy in a few months."

Mikey's jaw dropped in shock. Seventy? But she looked a lot younger than that. "Nu-uh. You can't be."

Gaia nodded. "I know I appear younger, but the secret is in my genes. I age slower than most people, and by the time I'm a hundred, I'll still look like I'm in my late fifties. I'm not sure whether it was passed down from a parent or it's the result of a gene mutation after the Great Bombing."

"Really? Well, believe it or not, I'm over sixty, myself," Mikey smirked as he pointed to himself. "And I'm still the Cute One."

Gaia giggled and raised an eyebrow. "The Cute One, huh? You sure you weren't the Funny One?"

"I'm both, babe," he winked at her. He mentally praised himself as he watched her shyly look down at the floor with her cheeks flushed again. _So far, so good. Donnie's dating tips are really paying off. Wonder why he couldn't win April over since he was such a pro?_

"April?" Gaia looked over at him slightly surprised.

Mikey blinked. "Huh? Were you in my head just now?"

She smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry. You're just...so loud. Mentally, I mean. I can easily hear your thoughts."

Mikey frowned. "Huh. Guess Raph was right...I really _am_ a big-mouth, even inside my head. Anyway, yeah, April was a human friend of ours. Donnie had a major crush on her, but the rest of us thought of her as a sister. She was a totally rad kunoichi who could kick ass-er, pardon me, butt. Forgot I was in a church," he grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, we never met anyone as cool as April before or ever since." He looked down at the marble floor crestfallen. "But she disappeared right before the Mutagen Bomb destroyed New York. I want to believe that she's still alive but...it's unlikely. I really miss her." He closed his eyes and sighed softly. "A lot."

As Mikey reminisced the good old times that he had spent with April, Gaia grew more and more uneasy and disturbed, biting her lower lip. She had heard that name before, and although she never met the half Kraang, half human girl with telekinetic powers, the Emperor hold her stories. And she knew what happened to her in the final days of Earth before it was cleansed by the bomb. But maybe this was a different April.

But what if she was the same person? And would Mikey think of her if he ever found out? She just had to know, even if she would regret it.

Swallowing and taking a deep breath, Gaia reached over to touch Mikey on the shoulder. "Um, may I?"

Thinking that Gaia wanted to touch him because he was irresistible, Mikey grinned and eagerly nodded. "Sure, go ahead." _Yes! The flirting worked! Thank you, Donnie!_

The moment she touched him, all of the Turtle's memories came crashing into her mind like a great wave. It was almost overwhelming, but she managed to capture every face, scene, and sound. From the time Splinter first brought him and his brothers into the lair when they were babies to the fateful day when the bomb mutated the entire planet and all of its inhabitants. She could feel every joy and heartbreak Mikey ever felt up until now, and the love that he had for his friends and family was indescribable.

And then there were the humans that he would watch from the rooftops every night, and she finally remembered what they looked like before they were drastically mutated fifty years ago. The Emperor told her that humans were miserable and savage creatures, but Mikey's memories told her otherwise. She could hear the squealing laughter of children as they played in the park. A young man helped a homeless lady push her cart across the street and then he generously gave her a warm cup of coffee. An elderly couple stared lovingly at each other as they sat on a bench and fed the pigeons.

As she looked through all these memories, her own suddenly came back in a flash all at once. Her head felt like it could explode at any given minute. Familiar faces smiled at her. People who loved her and people whom she loved. It was all coming back to her. Her grandmother and her older sister. Her whole family. Men who broke her heart. Friends who mended it.

Gaia Anastasia Mako was once a human, and she was happy.

And then the Mutagen Bomb changed everything.

Horror and dread grasped her as she realized that the Emperor killed everyone she knew and loved. And all these years she was serving him as his right hand and kissing his feet.

She never hated herself anymore than she did now.

The memories disappeared in a white flash and she was back in the temple, but she was on the floor and Mikey was holding her. He looked down at her with wide eyes full of concern.

"Gaia, what the heck just happened?" he asked her in a soft but panicked voice. "You just blanked out and had a seizure. You okay now?"

Gaia blinked a few times before she closed her eyes, a single tear escaping down her cheek.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey," Mikey whispered as he pulled her close to him in a hug. He absolutely hated to see a woman cry. "What's wrong?"

Her shoulders started to shake and her sobs were muffled as she buried her face in his chest. "Oh, Mikey...what I done? I'm so sorry. If I had known..."

He gently pulled her away and wiped a tear away with his thumb. "Take it easy. If you had known what?"

She took a couple of deep breaths as she calmed herself down, then she looked directly into his eyes, a serious, grim expression on her face. "Mikey, you need to get Shadow out of here _now_."

* * *

"Geez, even the freakin' toilets are made of gold," Shadow muttered as she stepped out of the restroom. "This guy spared no expense."

She was on her way back to the nursery when something to the left of the hallway caught her eye. A stuffed alligator stood with its massive arms stretched out and mighty jaws wide open. Its scales had a grayish color to them and its eyes has been removed. The sight of the empty sockets sent a shiver down Shadow's spine. No doubt this was a mutant, and she wonder what he could have done to be killed and displayed in the halls as a trophy of some kind.

"He was a rebel," a robotic voice startled her and she swiftly turned around to see the Emperor slowly approaching her with his hands folded behind his back.

He stood next to her and looked up at the dead alligator. "Forty years ago, he and his comrades, the so-called "Mighty" Mutanimals, tried to overthrow me, but my forces were too much for them. I preserved the alligator's body, the strongest one in the group, and used it as a reminder of my power and a warning to all who even think about defying me."

Shadow clasped a hand over her mouth in shock as the Emperor told his story. He killed the Mutanimals? Slash, Mondo, Dr. Rockwell, and even Pete? And this alligator must've been Mikey's old friend, Leatherhead.

She cleared her throat and tried to hide the fear in her voice, but it still cracked slightly. "Y-Yeah. Uh, listen," she slowly back away from him, "it's late so I'll just head back to the nursery and-" She yelped when he firmly grabbed her shoulder.

"Wait. Let me show you my throne room. I need to speak with you, anyway."

Speak with her? About what? And should she be left alone with this psycho? She grinned nervously as she tried to pry his cold, metallic hand off her shoulder. "No, thanks. Maybe tomorrow morning."

He shook his head, much to her dismay. "I'm afraid it can't wait until tomorrow. We must discuss this _now_."

She thought about fighting and screaming for the Turtles, but ultimately decided not to upset or anger the Emperor, especially since she was a prisoner in his temple and left at his mercy. "O-Okay."

As he led her down the hallway with his hand sell on her shoulder, she fearfully looked back at the stuffed Leatherhead. She should never have left Raph's side.

* * *

Raphael sighed dejectedly as he continued to rub the still slightly red cheek that Mikey slapped. His heart also stung from the impact, but he deserved it. His little brother was only trying to help, and they could've just agreed to disagree and ended the conversion on a good note. But he just had to be an a-hole and say those horrible words in Mikey's face like that.

With his eyes downcast, he slowly headed back to the nursery, but he looked up when he heard Mikey talking to someone down the hall in front of him. The younger Turtle was speaking with the High Priestess, who wasn't wearing her mask. He couldn't suppress a lopsided grin. They were only in the temple for one night and his brother already had a girlfriend, which didn't really surprise him. After all, Mikey had the natural talent of making friends with everyone he met.

As he got closer to the two, he noticed that Mikey had a grim look on his face, like he had just received bad news. When the younger Turtle turned and saw his brother, he immediately rushed to him. "Raph! There you are! I need to tell you something!"

Raph sighed and shook his head. "No, Mikey, I need to tell _you_ something. It was wrong of me to say those things. So what if you still believe in God and I don't? That's no excuse for me to-"

"Raph, you can apologize later!" Mikey abruptly interrupted him and reached up to place his hands on his brother's shoulders. "But right now we need to get Shadow out of the temple _now_!"

Raph's eyes widened in alarm. "What? Why? Is she in danger? Tell me!" he demanded.

Gaia stepped over to them and folded her hands in front of her as she looked down at the floor in shame. "Allow me to explain, Raphael."

* * *

"Wow, more gold," Shadow mumbled unimpressed as she followed the Emperor into his throne room. The tapestries that hung on the walls were woven with golden silk, and the large throne that stood on a high platform in front of the window was made of pure gold with the image of the sun engraved on the back of it.

The Emperor went up the stairs of the platform and turned to look down at Shadow, who remained standing at the bottom. "Yes, it is beautiful, is it not?" he asked as he gestured around him. "I have dug up and gathered all of the planet's gold and used it to create my magnificent temple."

He sat down in his throne and folded his hands. "But you know what they say about gold: it cannot buy you happiness. And sadly, even with all this wealth and power, I am still feel...unsatisfied."

 _Yeah, I'll bet, psycho._ "Really?" Shadow hid her disgust with a facade of fake sympathy. "Well, I don't see how. I mean, you're a _god_! Everyone in the world worships and respects you. What more could you want?"

"I thought I could create the perfect world," he sighed. "But just like the others, this one is flawed and has left me very disappointed."

Shadow's eyes became big. "Wait. 'Like the others'? You've done this before?"

"My dear," he stood up from his throne and went down the steps slowly, "I've conquered many worlds throughout the universe. I am known by many names: Torrinon, Kako Naso, Duke Acureds. And now they call me the Emperor."

"So conquering worlds is, like, a hobby to you?"

"You could say that. My own kind could not understand my ambitions, and they therefore labeled me a criminal. But no prison can contain me, and all that tried to get in my way were destroyed."

"Well," she gulped, "what happened to the planets you got bored with?"

"I erased them all from existence, of course, so that I can't look back on my mistakes and I can instead focus on the future."

Shadow's heart dropped to her stomach. _Oh, god. Then that means..._ "Does that...does that mean you're going to erase this planet, too?"

The Emperor stood over her ominously. "Yes, Miss Jones," he affirmed. "It does. And _you_ are going to help me."

She looked at him like he was completey out of his mind. Was he being serious right now? She glared up at him defiantly as she took a step back. "Oh, yeah? Well, what makes you think I'd ever help you destroy my planet?"

He chuckled darkly as he walked over to one of the tapestries, which had the image of the Earth being held in the palm of a giant hand, which looked awfully similar to the Emperor's. He looked up at it and brushed his metallic finger over the silk. "You know, fifty years ago, a girl who was around your age also refused to help me. Like you, she was gifted with telekinetic abilities that few on this planet possessed. When she tried to fight me, I had no choice but to stun her with a little device of my own."

Without turning around, he snapped his fingers, and in a flash, one of the servants in the temple, a mongoose, dashed from behind a tall vase and grabbed Shadow in a chokehold.

"What...?!" The teen let out a strangled gasp and struggled with all her might to free herself. "Ah! Let...go of me! Let go!"

The Emperor turned away from the tapestry and pulled some kind of headband from under his sleeve. He approached her and prepared to bring the device over her head. "Fate has brought you here, Shadow Jones, to serve as my hand of destruction. Do not fight your destiny."

Before he could touch her, Shadow had managed to free her left arm and she grabbed him by his robe. She desperately tore the front of it off his torso...and she gasped in horror when it was revealed that the Emperor was just a droid that was being driven by a Kraang. This one had an ugly burn mark over his left eye, and he snarled at her with his razor sharp teeth.

"You shouldn't have done that," he growled in his normal voice as he raised his hand to strike her.

Before she could even scream, he backhanded her with so much force that he knocked her out.

 **So if you guessed that the Emperor was Ch'rell (the Shredder in Shadow's world), then you were right!**

 **Next chapter, the fate of Mad Raph Earth depends on the Turtles!**


	43. Review Here

**Okay, so here's the deal: I screwed up so you need to leave the review for the latest chapter "Hand Of Destruction" on this page. Sorry about the confusion. Just hit the previous chapter button, read the new chapter, and leave the review here on this page.**

 **Sorry again. :/**


	44. Desert Angel

**Welp, this is the last chapter that will be set in the Mad Raph world! I had a lot of fun experimenting with this AU, but sadly, we must move on to the Akari Universe...**

 **Update 5/22/2018: OMG! "Akari" won Third Place for "Most Compelling AU"! AAAAHHHHH! XD (I tied with Taizi's "Silent Night")**

 **I'm so HAPPY! THANK YOU to all who voted for this story! And even better, my GOTG/TMNT crossover "Savin' The Galaxy" won second place for "Best Crossover"! (I tied with FantasiaWandering's "Stories from the Shatterdome") I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! :3**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 **Warning: Disturbing content**

"...No. N-No, that's not..."

Raph nearly stumbled backwards from the shock, but thankfully Mikey was able to catch him before he hit the ground. Gaia had just finished telling him about how the Utrom Ch'rell forced April to use her powers to expand the blast of the Bomb and spread the mutagen across the globe. Unfortunately, the process was too much for her and she did not survive. They always wondered what had become of their dearest friend, and now he knew.

Oh, god. How would Donnie react to such news?

Raph's eyes flickered over to where Gaia stood. The High Priestess was looking down at the floor in shame with her hands folded. Immediately his blood began to boil. "You..." he growled, his face distorted and his eyes burning with anger. "You knew the whole time."

Mikey could sense the growing danger and tried to calm his brother down before he'd tear Gaia apart. "Bro, breathe, okay?" he said softly, standing in between Raph and Gaia. "Look, she didn't know who April was to us-"

But Raph roughly shoved him away and grabbed Gaia by the throat. The priestess let out a yelp as she was pushed against the wall and he slowly tightened his grip on her.

"Raph!" Mikey grabbed the arm that had a hold of her and tried to pull him away in vain. "Raph, stop! Stop it! Let her go!"

Raph only squeezed tighter as he gritted his teeth. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break your neck," he hissed at her, his voice dripping with venom.

Gaia's eyes blurred with tears and she started to see spots as her lungs burned, yet she managed to gasp one word as she reached up to touch his arm.

"Calm..."

Almost instantly a wave of calmness swept over Raph and he unconsciously let go of her. She dropped up the floor and wheezed as she sucked in deep breaths. Mikey rushed to her side and helped her to stand up.

Raph went from breathing calmly to almost hyperventilating as he came to grips with what had just happened. It was like someone flipped his anger switch off, and it really started to freak him out. Just who or what was this lady?

Shaking himself out of it, he turned to Gaia, who was still trying to catch her breath. "Just what exactly does he have planned with Shadow?" he gruffly asked her.

Gaia painfully cleared her throat and rubbed her sore neck. "I'm not quite sure," she rasped. "But...he has been talking lately about starting over on another world because he is disappointed with how this one has turned out."

Raph did _not_ like the sound of that. "What are you talking about?"

"This is not the first time he has done this. His main goal is to do what not even gods could since the beginning of time: to create a perfect world and rule over it as its surpreme deity. But every civilization he had ever built was flawed in his eyes, so much so that he annihilated all life on that planet and moved on to the next. He's been doing this for centuries."

"Wow," Mikey said wide-eyed, "that guy's a crackpot. Of course you can't build a perfect world. Everyone knows that."

"So now he's bored with this world and is gonna destroy it just like the others," Raph concluded with a grim look. "But what does he want with Shadow?"

"Below the temple is another Mutagen Bomb in the Catacombs of the Forgotten."

Mikey raised an eyebrow. "Huh? The Catawhat of the Who-now?"

"It is a system of underground tombs where the remains of the humans are buried. The Bomb is located in the center of it all, for in case he decided that this world has failed to meet his expectations. I...volunteered to be the one to activate it should that day ever come," Gaia admitted, ashamed. "But Shadow is far younger than I, and my powers have only weakened over the years. Surely with her, he could wipe out the entire population."

"And what happens to Shadow after that?" Raph asked, concerned about the teen's well-being.

Gaia's face instantly became grim. "Shadow's life force will be drained from her body. April didn't survive it, and neither will she."

Raph's eyes narrowed in fury and determination. "No way," he growled. "I won't let that freak kill her. Let's go wake up Leo and Donnie."

* * *

Deep beneath the Temple, two of the Emperor's servants, a mongoose and a bobcat, dragged an unconscious Shadow by her arms down the halls of the catacombs. White electric lights revealed the millions of human skulls that decorated the stone walls, the unfortunate victims of the last Mutagen Bomb.

Leading the way, the Emperor, or Ch'rell, approached a metal door and punched in a code on a keypad. The front of his robe was still torn apart from earlier, revealing his true Utrom form. The door slid open and the lights instantly flicked on as soon as they walked in. The entire room was one big laboratory, with massive tubes of mutagen, super computers, and many other highly advanced technologies that were obviously of Utrom origin. In the center of the room was a newly built Mutagen Bomb, its contents glowing bright green through the glass windows. On a high platform standing next to it was a metal chair with manacles built into both arms and a vice of some sort to hold the head in.

Three frog scientists who were making the final preparations bowed to the Emperor as he approached.

"My lord," the yellow one said, "everything is ready. We need only the girl now."

Ch'rell nodded to at the two servants holding Shadow. "Put her in the chair." He then turned back to the scientists. "You three have served me well. And I assure you, after this planet has been cleansed, you will each have a seat reserved in the Sun Hall, where you'll be greeted with a hero's welcome."

"We are very grateful, my lord," the blue frog said, casting his large orange eyes downward in sadness. "We deeply regret failing to bring you the perfect world that you envisioned."

Chre'll nodded. "Yes, well, perhaps the next world won't be a failure."

On the platform, as the servants proceeded to strap Shadow to the chair, the teenager groaned as she slowly regain consciousness and fluttered her eyes open. The first thing she saw was the glowing green fluid of the bomb. Panic took over as she remembered the grim situation that she currently was in and she fought against her restraints.

"NO!" she screamed. "NO, LEMME GO! PLEASE!" The servants struggled to put her head in the vice and that only made her panic even more. "NO! GET OFF! STOP! _STOP!_ "

 _I don't wanna die! Mom! Dad! Uncle Raph! SOMEBODY!_

The bobcat quickly put the control headband on her, and immediately she stopped struggling. She just stopped thinking all together, her mind completely blank. She was now like a doll, completely still and staring blankly ahead.

Ch'rell went up the stairs of the platform and stood behind the chair, stroking her short blonde hair with his robotic hand. "If you can hear me in there," he spoke to her in an eerily soft voice, "I'd like to thank you, Shadow Jones, for coming to our world and making all of this possible. Your sacrifice will-"

The sound of someone banging on the door cut him off.

 _"SHADOW!"_

Ch'rell grimaced and cursed. That sounded like the hot-headed Turtle who challenged and ridiculed his divinity. How did he even find this place? "Secure the door!" he ordered.

The servants rushed to the door, but before they could even get to it, Leo came barging in and completely knocked it down with his incredible strength, with Raph, Donnie, Gaia and Mikey all running in after him.

Raph looked up and gasped when he saw Shadow on the platform. "Kid!" he called up to her. "Shadow!" He burrowed his brow when she didn't respond to him. When he noticed Ch'rell standing next to her chair, he snarled at the Utrom. "You," he hissed. "What did you do to her?!"

But Ch'rell ignored him as he glared down at his former priestess. "You dare to betray me, Gaia? After everything I've done for you?"

Gaia only glared back up him defiantly. "You killed my family and destroyed my life. All those years I've wasted serving you..." Her long black hair slowly started to rise and her body seemed to glow with energy. "...when I should've been resisting you."

Ch'rell didn't seem at all fazed, and he even smirked maliciously as he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small device with a purple V-shaped button on it.

Donnie's rabbit ears perked up as he scanned the device. "He's got a detonator!" he shouted in alarm.

"To what?!" a fearful Raph took a couple of steps back. "The bomb?!"

Gaia's energy faded away and her hair went back down. "No," she softly said with a hint of fear in her voice. "It's to the nanites."

All eyes were now on her. Mikey took a step toward her and gently touched her on the shoulder. "What nanites?" he asked. "What are you talking about?"

She looked at him as she pointed to her left temple. "Years ago, he planted nanites inside of me, to ensure that I would never betray him." She smiled a little and chuckled bitterly. "I assured him that I wouldn't since I was so loyal and grateful to him. He was right to be paranoid after all."

"Gaia," Leo looked at her worriedly, "what happens to you if he pushes that button?"

Before she could answer, Ch'rell beat her to it. "All of the nanites will self-destruct and kill her."

The Turtles all gasped at this revelation, while Gaia looked down at the floor solemnly.

Raph approached her. "You knew the whole time...and you still helped us? Even if it meant your death?"

Gaia smiled sadly at him and shrugged.

"It is futile, Gaia," Ch'rell said as he stroked Shadow's hair. "You're _all_ going to perish in a matter of minutes. You say I'm not a god, Raphael. But that's not true. I _am_ a god. A God of Destruction."

"You're a delusional pink piece of sh**," Raph growled. "That's what you are."

Ch'rell chuckled darkly. "Cute last words." He then grabbed the back of Shadow's neck and gave her a squeeze. "Shadow Jones...it is time. Take up the Mutagen Bomb."

At his command, the lights in the headband flickered and Shadow's hands twitched wildly as the entire room began to shake. Debris and larges pieces of Earth fell down from the ceiling and narrowly missed the Turtles. The bomb hummed as it slowly started to rise inch by inch.

"It's starting!" Donnie yelled, jumping away from a large rock in time before it would crush him.

The servants and scientists all pulled out their guns and pointed them at the Turtles, preventing them from making a move. The Mutagen Bomb continued to rise toward the ceiling as Shadow mentally lifted it against her will. Blood began to slip down from both of her nostrils.

Gaia bravely took a step forward and lifted her hand toward the platform, but Ch'rell stepped in front of Shadow and held out the detonator, threatening to push it.

"Gaia, wait!" Mikey grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "The nanite things will kill you!"

"I know," she smiled sadly as she pulled his hand off her. "But either way, I'm going to die. I've wasted my entire life obeying his every command and not thinking for myself. This is my penance. I need to do this."

Mikey's blue eyes glimmered with tears. "Gaia..." he choked. "Don't."

She gently touched his wrinkled, freckled cheek and gave him a peck. "Thank you, Mikey. And goodbye." She then turned to Raph. "Save her, Raph."

Raph looked at her with sad eyes and nodded. Being a mind reader, she could hear him mentally say to her, _Thank you._

With one wave of her hand, all of the armed mutants' necks were snapped by an invisible force and they dropped to the floor dead. Then she turned her attention to Shadow and reached out to her, telekinetically pulling the headband off her forehead and shattering it into pieces.

But just as she did, Ch'rell pushed the button and Gaia's body instantly became stiff before she fell to the ground, though Mikey caught her in time.

Shadow gasped as she snapped back to reality and was freed from Ch'rell's mind control. With out her telekinetic grip on it, the bomb stopped rising and dropped. Everyone braced themselves and held their breaths as it landed thunderously. But thankfully nothing happened except for the glass windows cracking.

As Shadow regained all of her senses, she looked down and saw the Turtles and Gaia at the bottom of the platform. "Guys? Wha-?"

Then she saw Gaia being cradled in Mikey's arms. When she saw the blood that was coming from out of her nose and mouth, her heart dropped and her chest became tight as the dread came and hit her with full force. Mikey's very solemn expression and the tears rolling down his cheeks made it very clear that Gaia was gone. Even though this wasn't the same Gaia who had become her friend and art teacher, the sight of another Gaia lying dead was just as painful as it would've been if she were indeed the same person.

"How disappointing."

Shadow turned to see Ch'rell glaring down at the group, particularly at Gaia. "She was by far my most favorite mutant." His droid crushed the detonator in its hand. "And she betrays me."

Shadow quickly put the pieces together and she never felt so much anger and hatred toward anybody. That monster killed her.

Her hands clenched into fists and she gritted her teeth. Her breathing became heavy.

He killed her.

He _killed_ her!

The chair started to vibrate and the manacles popped open. Ch'rell looked over at Shadow, and immediately the Utrom's face blanched. Shadow's bands slowly started to rise on their own as she stood up. Her eyes blazed with fury and even glowed a bright blue-green color as she lifted her hand.

She was going to destroy him.

Ch'rell stepped back in horror and turned to leap off the balcony when he was hit with a powerful burst of kinetic energy and his droid broke into pieces and parts, leaving his Utrom form completely vulnerable. He screamed as he fell nearly fifty feet, but a large hand caught him before he hit the ground.

Unfortunately for him, that large hand belong to an infuriated Raphael. "Not so high and mighty now, are you?" The Turtle growled as he gave the Utrom an extremely painful squeeze, nearly making his green eyes pop out of their sockets. The creature whimpered and wiggled his tentacles wildly.

As Raph slowly squeezed even harder, intending on killing him, a warm yet strong hand gently touched him on the shoulder. "Raph, stop," he heard Leo softly say to him. "Remember Splinter's teachings."

But Raph stubbornly shook his head. "Master Splinter is _gone_ , Leo. _Everything_ is gone. He needs to pay for what he did to our friends. To _us_! Every day you look in the mirror and see a monster, it's because of him!"

"On the outside, Raph," Leo said, his hand still on his brother's shoulder. "But inside, I'm still me. And I'm still alive. We all are. And we're still together. That's the most important thing, right?"

Raph's rage-contorted face slowly softened. "But our friends...everyone we ever cared about..." his voice cracked slightly.

"Killing him won't bring them back. And it won't make you feel better. Please, bro..." He gently squeezed Raph's shoulder. "I don't want anyone else in our family to have blood on their hands."

Raph glanced over at Mikey, who was still holding Gaia. His little brother's eyes brimmed with tears, but he gave Raph a small smile and nodded. Taking a deep, relaxing breath and closing his eyes, Raph loosened his grip on Ch'rell, but still tight enough to keep the alien from escaping.

Shadow reached the bottom of the platform stairs and joined the group, kneeling down next to Mikey and reaching for Gaia's limp hand. Even though she was dead, Gaia's body was still emitting leftover energy and it transferred into Shadow's. The teen closed her eyes as she basked in the warm sensation, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"You know, you're _very_ lucky that we need you alive, Ch'rell," Donnie approached the alien in Raph's grasp and jabbed his robotic finger into Ch'rell's mushy flesh, venom in his mechanical voice. "And if I weren't bound by my master's moral code, I would've ripped you right in half by now for what you did to April. You are going to build a portal gate and get Shadow back to her dimension."

Ch'rell glared at Donnie before he started to chuckle, which grew into sinister laughter.

"The heck are you laughing for, shrimp?" Raph demanded.

"I may have been defeated," Ch'rell gave them a chilling smile, "but you will never take me prisoner. No one ever does."

"In case you haven't noticed, bub, I've literally got you in the palm of my hand. You're going nowhere."

"You fool." Ch'rell opened his mouth and suddenly a long freakishly looking purple tongue slithered out. The others gasped and groaned in disgust. So the Utroms and Kraang did have tongues after all. Sticking to it underneath was a pill of some kind.

"Wait a minute," Donnie quickly scanned the pill, then gasped. "I think that's a cyanide pill! Don't let him swallow it!"

Raph quickly put his entire mouth into Ch'rell's mouth, fishing around for the pill but felt only gums and flesh. The Utrom gave him one last spiteful smile around his fist before swallowing.

"SH**!" Raph cursed.

For a minute, nothing happened, but then Ch'rell's body started to twitch, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and a yellowish liquid drooled out of his mouth. Finally, he became very still. Raph growled in both frustration and disgust as he flung the dead alien off his hand.

Shadow looked down at the floor defeated and let out a heavy sigh. "Well...I guess that's it. I'll never get home now."

Leo walked over to her and touched her shoulder in comfort. "Don't give up hope, Shadow," he softly said.

"Why not?" she grumbled. "The only guy who could get me back to my dimension is dead."

"Ahem."

Everyone turned to Donnie, who had crossed his arms. "Um, hello? Genius machine-making Turtle here?" he sardonically said as he pointed to himself.

"Donnie, could you...really build a portal gate?" Leo asked in surprise.

"Well, sure I can! Look around you! We've got all the technology and resources that we need. And I didn't spend all those years studying Kraang tech for nothing. It'll be a cinch."

"So how long will it take?" Raph asked.

"Fifty years ago, it would've taken me at least a week. But now that I'm a machine that could run for days without any naps or breaks...twenty hours at most."

Raph and Shadow looked at other. A hopeful smile was on both of their faces.

"Alright, Donnie," Raph said. "Let's do it.

* * *

During the next twelve hours, as Donnie worked vigorously in the lab at a fast rate, the others took the bodies of the mutants and dumped them in the lake that was behind the Temple. Raph wanted to put Ch'rell on a stick and roast him over a fire, but Leo talked him into letting it go and dumping his body in the water as well.

As for Gaia, they all agreed to a much more honorable burial and took her body to the Last City's park, burying her under a bed of beautiful morning glories. Shadow, Raph, and Mikey stood at her grave, paying their final respects.

Mikey knelt down and tenderly touched a purple glory. "Shadow, what's Gaia like in your world?"

Shadow smiled sadly to herself. "She's still human, and she's very beautiful. And very kind. She's an art teacher at my school, a psychic, and Donnie's girlfriend."

Mikey chuckled weakly and he got a twinkle in his eye. "Donnie, huh? That player."

"Yep. Pretty much one of the best people I've ever met. And even in another dimension, she's still awesome." Shadow took a deep shaky breath and knelt down next to Mikey. "Thank you for saving me, Gaia. I won't ever forget this dimension or you."

Raph nodded somberly in agreement with her. He felt awful for attacking her earlier, and admired her for her bravery and selflessness. As he stood next to her grave, he made a silent vow to her that he would not let her sacrifice be in vain and he would continue to fight for the planet as he should've been for the past fifty years.

Just then Leo appeared, stepping from behind a tree. "Guys, sorry to bother you but...it's time."

...

"Wait...that's it?" Mikey slightly tilted his head in puzzlement as he and the others gazed upon Donnie's invention.

It was simple metal door frame that stood on top of a small base. A large power cord connected it to one of the supercomputers.

"Why do you sound so disappointed?" Donnie asked, feeling a bit offended.

"Wellll," Mikey scratched the back of his neck, "I was kinda expecting something a little...I dunno...cooler, like one of those _Stargate_ types."

Raph rolled his eyes and knocked Mikey on the side of the head. "It doesn't matter how big or small it is, numbskull, as long as it works. _Does_ it work, Donnie?"

"Only one way to find out." Donnie walked over to the supercomputer and typed in a few codes on the large touch screen. Everyone held their breaths as he worked, and without thinking, Shadow reached for Raph's much larger hand.

She just _had_ to get back to her world.

And then the door started to hum as a purple light began to flicker from the inside of the frame. Shadow felt like jumping for joy when the light finally stayed on. "It works?!" she looked at Donnie with pleading eyes.

The thumbs-up that she received from him made her heart soar and she nearly squealed from excitement.

"We can't rush into this, though," Donnie warned her. "There are an infinite number of realities and dimensions, and we probably got only one shot at this."

"I understand," Shadow nodded.

The robot Turtle then pulled up an interdimensional map on the screen and carefully clicked on the few that best described Shadow's world. She stepped closer toward the door and watched as the portal clicked from one world to the next. Each dimension that was shown was very similar to the one before it with very little differences that they didn't immediately pick up on. For instance, in one dimension, 9/11 never happened and the Twin Towers were still standing. Shadow almost didn't seem them amongst the other skyscrapers until Mikey pointed them out, with a very heavy heart, of course.

After nearly twenty minutes of searching through various dimensions, they found one which Shadow immediately pointed to as soon as it popped up. "That's it!" she shouted. "That's my dimension!"

"How do you know for sure, kid?" Raph asked her.

"'Cause look!" she pointed to a Hispanic man who was standing behind a small Mexican restaurant and throwing trash into a dumpster. "That's Ronny! He's a friend of ours and gives us free food whenever we come to visit!"

"Like Murakami-san!" Mikey quipped in with a big smile. "Man, I sure miss his pizza gyoza."

"Now hold on," Leo said. "We need to be extremely careful about this. This might or might not be the dimension we're looking for. We could be missing a very small but extremely crucial detail."

"No," Shadow said with certainty. "This _is_ my home. I can feel it."

Raph wasn't entirely convinced, and he placed his hand on the kid's shoulder. "Kid, are you absolutely sure? I mean, once you go through that door, we might not ever-"

He stopped talking when she looked up at him and gently placed her hand on his. She gave him a warm smile and nodded. "I'm sure, Uncle Raph."

Raph blinked in surprise, then slowly smiled. Hearing her call him "uncle" made him feel warm inside and he couldn't stop the tears from forming in his eyes. He responded by wrapping his arms around her small frame in a fatherly embrace. As they stayed like that, he silently prayed that she would safely find her way back home and live a long, happy life. He secretly envied the Raphael who had become her honorary uncle. He was very lucky Turtle.

"You be safe, okay?" he whispered to her so that no one else would hear. "And never forget what I told you back at TCRI."

She nuzzled her face into his chest. "I won't."

"You're a good kid, Shadow. I won't forget the adventure we had together. And I know that you'll be a great kunoichi someday. After all, you've got the greatest teacher in the world."

She chuckled tearfully at his joke and hugged him even tighter. "I know I do." When they finally pulled apart, she looked over at the other Turtles and smiled at them. "Thanks for everything, guys." Leo, Donnie, and Mikey all nodded back, the youngest of the group sniffling and wiping a tear away.

She then took off her leather jacket with the winged skull embroidered on the back and handed it to Raph, who accepted it with slight confusion. "Something to remember me by," she softly explained.

Slowly facing the portal, Shadow took a deep breath. "Okay...here I go." With every step she took toward the door, her heart beated faster. This was it. No turning back. Either she was going back home to her family and friends or she was trapped forever in another strange dimension.

Right before she stepped into the purple light, she glanced back at the Turtles and waved goodbye to them. They all waved back and watched as she disappeared into the light and out of their lives forever.

When Donnie shut the door down, Raph quickly wiped his face with his arm and walked out of the lab, ignoring the sympathetic looks his brothers were giving him.

 _See you, kid._

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Later that night, on their way back to the Oasis, they decided to stop the tank at an abandoned church. Raph almost couldn't believe his eyes when they had arrived: it was the same church where he angrily denounced his faith in God fifty years ago.

When they all walked inside, it was almost the same as he had left it that day. That one front pew was still flipped over, the crucifix on the wall was missing, and the torn-out pages of the Bible were scattered all over the floor.

But the large stained glass window of Christ had been fully repaired, as if it had never been shattered by Raph at all. Did some good Samaritan who just happened to come across this place take the time to fix it? Or was this truly a miracle?

Too tired to even ponder this, Raph let out a long yawn and laid himself down on a pew, immediately falling asleep. But unfortunately, the loud snoring of his eldest and youngest brother woke him up in the middle of the night.

The following morning, as they packed up and prepared to resume their long journey back home, Raph picked up the crucifix that was on the floor and attached it back to the wall, even taking the time to straighten it.

As they drove away from the church, Raph held Shadow's jacket and rubbed his thumbs over the embroidered angel wings, smiling to himself. Mikey was right all along; they really _had_ received a visit from an angel.

A desert angel.

 **Yes, I did base the title of this chapter on the song by Stevie Nicks.**

 **To BrightLotusMoon, sorry for killing off your character.**


	45. Home Again

**Here we are! Back to the Akari world!**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _Ella me miró con sus bonitos ojos azules,_ Ronny sang to himself as he threw another trash bag into the dumpster behind the restaurant. The radio in the kitchen was playing his favorite song. _Su largo cabello era amarillo como el sol._

As the cook turned to walk back inside, a loud booming sound made him jump and he swiftly turned around to see a rectangular portal of purple light open up about twenty-five feet above the restaurant.

Ronny blinked before he quickly rubbed his eyes. When he looked back up, it was still there. "¿Qué en nombre de Dios ...?" he muttered in disbelief.

A foot stuck out of the light, and after that a hand. Finally, Shadow's whole body slipped out, and once the portal shut, she started to fall to the ground.

"¡Mierda!" Ronny's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets and he dashed toward the falling girl with his arms raised. "I got you! I got you!"

Just as he was about to catch her, her body suddenly stopped falling and floated in the air just inches above him. Shadow actually looked just as surprised as he was. Before he could even speak a word, she dropped into his arms and he was almost knocked down to the pavement but he managed to stay on his feet.

"Geez," he grunted as he gently put her down. "You're heavier than you look.

"Ronny?" Shadow softly said as she looked up at the cook with hopeful eyes. "Is it really you?"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Well, yeah, of course it's me. Who else could I be, Nacho Libre? Now tell me, since when were you able to fly?"

Shadow grinned lopsidedly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, uh, it's a funny story-"

"Know what? You can tell me about it later. But first..." He wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I'm so happy that you're alive, kid. We've all been worried sick about you."

She smiled and hugged him back, breathing in that familiar tortilla smell that she had missed so much. "It's good to be back, Ronny." She suddenly remembered her mother and pulled away. "Where's my mom? Is she and the baby okay?"

"They are both fine," he softly assured her. "But she's taken your disappearance the hardest, you know."

Shadow somberly nodded, knowing how her mother could be. "Yeah, I'll bet. You know where she is?"

Ronny shook his head. "At home, I guess. I know that she hasn't been on the news since you disappeared. Some young blondie's taken her place as the reporter for Channel Six."

She winced with guilt at the news. "You mean...she lost her job?"

"I guess so. But from what I've heard, it's actually a good thing. Her boss was a real jerk. Hey, didn't you used to date his kid or something?"

Shadow bit her lower lip at the mention of Danny, reminded of the betrayal she had felt after he revealed himself to be a spy for the Foot. "Yeah," she mumbled. "For a while."

Ronny nodded, understanding the implication of her unenthusiastic reaction, then he gave her a friendly slap on the back. "Well, what are you wasting time talking to me for? You need to get back home and let everyone know that you're alive!"

"Oh, right!" She gave him a quick hug before she ran down the street. "I'll fill you in later, Ronny! See ya!"

The thought of her reuniting with her family gave her the drive to run all the way to her house, but after a few blocks, she quickly got tired and stopped to catch her breath. Then she realized, why run when she could fly?

"Okay, let's see...how does it work again?" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, imagining herself going into the air. "Okay...go!"

She opened one eye and saw that she was still on the ground. So she tried again and raised her arms in the air. "Fly!"

Still nothing. She stomped on one foot. "Up, up, and away!"

Nada. Then she clicked her heels together. "There's no place like home?" Okay, now she was getting desperate. Good thing nobody was around because she looked totally ridiculous.

However, unknown to her, a homeless lady was watching her from her home in an alley. She shook her head in disbelief and muttered, "Kids and their drugs today."

Shadow sighed in defeat and decided to find the nearest bus stop. Maybe Gaia could give her a few lessons in telekinesis later. It really sucked though, not being able to fly.

* * *

"Gaia...has been kidnapped?" Had Donnie still have his old legs, they would've given out at the dreadful news that April had just broken to him.

Casey called Donnie early in the morning and told him to come to their house immediately. When he told him that they knew the whereabouts of Gaia, the genius Turtle wasted no time in driving all the way to the O'Neil house and brought his older brother with him.

Raph sat in a chair and listened to April's story, and after she finished, he growled and curled his hands into fists that trembled with rage. "When I get my hands on Shredder...!"

"But...why would he take her?" Donnie finally sat down on the couch next to April and cradled his head in his hands, feeling overwhelmed and lost.

"Bad guys always do crap like this," Casey huffed and crossed his arms. "They kidnap our loved ones to get us to surrender. It's real cliche and typical of them."

"Or maybe," Raph scratched his chin in thought, "it has something to do with her powers. He thought Shadow had powers, too, and that's why he lured her to his lair. He had plans with her, and now that she's gone, he's moving on to Gaia."

"But what _are_ his plans?" April wondered aloud as she rubbed Donnie's shell in comfort.

"We'll figure that part out later," Raph stood up from his seat. "Right now, we need to think up a plan to rescue Gaia. So far, we know that his new headquarters are at the TCRI building, right? And we already know that he has Pulverizer on his side now. We're gonna all the help we can get."

"Well, we've already got the Mutanimals," Casey pointed out.

"Right, but he's got a whole army, and so we need to get an army, too. The Mutanimals might not be enough."

"Bishop and the other Utroms could help," April suggested.

Raph nodded slowly. "Yeah, they could. But what if they're too busy with things in Dimension X? This might not be enough of a priority to them."

"They're our friends, Raph."

"Well, we could ask them, but we'll need a backup plan in case they do say no. And..." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "This may sound crazy but...we're gonna have to break Leo out of jail."

Donnie lifted his head and looked up at Raph in shock along with April and Casey. "Break Leo...out of prison?" He scoffed and glanced to the side. "You're right: it _is_ crazy."

"Donnie," Raph softly but sternly spoke to his brother, "I said we're gonna need _all_ the help we can get. And right now, we need Leo. We both knew that this day would come."

"I know that, Raph, and I love Leo, too, but let's say we do break him out, and he doesn't forgives us? What if he refuses to help and goes back to killing criminals as the Serpent? We'll have put a cold-blooded murderer back on the streets. You really want that on your conscience?"

"We have to reach out to him anyway. He's our brother, and we need to face the Shredder as a team again."

Donnie let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. "And if he still doesn't agree to help us?"

"Then at least we will have tried. It's what Mikey wants."

Donnie inhaled deeply through his nostrils and exhaled through his mouth then nodded. "Yeah, okay. For Mikey. But I suggest that we go to the Utroms first and see if they can help. I still have communications with Bishop."

"Alright, then," Raph walked to the couch and offered his hand to Donnie. "Let's take a trip to Dimension X."

Donnie gave him a small grin and firmly took his hand.

 _Knock knock_

Every head was turned to the recently repaired front door. Who could it be at this hour? Casey slowly and hesitantly reached for the knob, preparing to face another alien lizard or Foot soldier. Nowhere was safe anymore.

...

She nervously bit her fingernails as she waited for someone to answer the door. She promised to herself (and to her mom) that she would stop biting her nails after she turned seven, but apparently some habits never go away.

She had so much to tell her parents. Up until now they probably believed that she was dead, and all of a sudden she reappears on their doorstep? And what would her mom think about her getting a pixie cut?

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the doorknob turned and she held her breath. The door slowly opened and she found herself closing her eyes, although she didn't know why.

The first thing Casey saw as he peeked through the crack was blonde hair.

Blonde?

Although he could've been overreacting, he immediately flung the door all the way open. Standing before him was a girl in a white tank top that was stained with dirt and sand and a pair of torn jeans. And her hair was very short and dirty. But face looked exactly like...

"Sweetie...?" he said barely below a whisper. He prayed that he was right.

The sound of her dad's voice filled her heart with so much joy and she started to sob uncontrollably as she finally opened her green eyes. It was really him. "Daddy," she said softly.

As soon as he saw those beautiful eyes, he grabbed his daughter in a tight hug and nearly squeezed the life out of her. But he quickly loosened his grip when he heard her whimper. He couldn't help it; he was just so happy to have his baby girl back in his arms.

They sobbed together and stayed in that embrace for moment, then Donnie walked up to them. "Casey, who's-?" His auburn eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw Shadow in Casey's arms. "Shadow?"

Shadow glanced up at the cyborg Turtle and laughed tearfully. "Uncle Donnie."

Then she saw another familiar green face behind him and burst into more tears.

Uncle Raph.

The elder Turtle's emerald green eye went wide at the sight of his niece standing in front of him, then he smiled from ear to ear. The kid finally made it back home.

She ran out of her father's embrace and straight into Raph's, all the while bawling like a baby. Even though they were worlds apart, he had always been with her in spirit, and to be able to feel him and hear his voice again, it was an overwhelming joy that she could hardly contain.

Raph chuckled as he held her, his own eye watering and spilling over. He never lost faith, and he never gave up hope. He happened to look and see Mikey standing behind Donnie. The youngest Turtle's spirit gave him a big grin and thumbs up.

He could sense April slowly getting up from the couch and walking toward them, so he respectfully pulled out of the embrace and stepped back. The moment April saw her daughter's wonderful, beautiful face, she clamped a hand over her mouth and her blue eyes glistened with building up tears.

Shadow thought that her mother looked like a complete mess, with bags and dark circles under her eyes, and it broke her heart to see that bandana covering the head that once had shiny red hair. But even so, she was still so beautiful, just as she remembered.

"Mommy...!" It came out like a pathetic squeak, but she didn't care. She ran to April and wrapped her arms around her while being careful of her pregnant tummy.

April sobbed as she ran her fingers through Shadow's hair and pressed her cheek against her daughter's, mingling their tears. "Shadow...my baby...!"

Baby. Shadow was April O'Neil's baby, blood or adopted. The teen smiled and squeezed her eyes shut as she buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

She was home again.

* * *

"You summoned me, Master?" Tatsu bowed his head as he stood before Shredder, who sat on his throne.

The fully armored clan leader stood up and approached the blind warrior. "Yes, Tatsu. The day is drawing near when the bomb will fall and wipe out all of humanity, leaving only the mutants as new the dominant species." He placed a cold, metal hand on the man's shoulder. "And as I promised, you will be the only human to be spared."

Tatsu smiled and nodded.

"However, there is just one problem."

The smile dropped.

"It can't be an all-mutant world if there is even a single human left in it, right?"

"Master?" Tatsu's brow furrowed in worry and he started to back away. But Shredder grabbed him by the shoulder, and before he knew it, something sharp stabbed into his neck. He cried out both in pain and shock as he stumbled backward and touched where he was stabbed. A burning sensation traveled throughout his entire body in his veins. "M-Master?!"

"Fear not, my friend," Shredder calmly yet eerily told him, holding a syringe and needle in his hand. "I will keep my promise, but you will not live in my new world as a human."

Tatsu's body suddenly started to grow and morph, an extremely painful process that made the man scream and moan. Black fur slowly grew out of his skin and his nails became razor-sharp claws that were roughly the size of a Tasmanian giant crab's. His nose stretched into a long snout and his teeth became sharp and jagged.

From inside his armor, the Utrom tyrant smiled sinisterly as Tatsu mutated into a giant mole, a deadly weapon that could destroy the Turtles and their allies should they try to interfere once again.

 **A little short, I know. But I wanted to let you know that I'm not dead and neither is this story!**

 **Happy 4th of July! God Bless the USAAAAAAAAAAA!**


	46. The Utrom General

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"I still can't believe you cut your hair, kid," Raph chuckled as he gave Shadow an affectionate noogie.

Shadow laughed as she pulled out of his headlock. "Well, I had to cut it, otherwise those other mutants would've recognized and eaten me."

The reptilian teacher and his student sat on the couch in the O'Neil living room while Donnie sat in the chair, still trying to process Shadow's incredible story. April was so overwhelmed with the joy of reuniting with her child that she became exhausted and had to be carried to bed by Casey. Even though she wanted to stay with Shadow longer, she was still pregnant with her second child and had to get her rest.

"So let me get this straight," the genius Turtle sighed as rubbed his eyes. "Newtralizer inadvertently sent you to another dimension where all of humanity is extinct because an Utrom went power-mad and dropped a Mutagen Bomb on them. Then he proclaimed himself god of the new world but eventually got bored and created another bomb to wipe out the entire mutant population."

Shadow nodded. "Yep. Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Totally crazy," Raph smirked. "And you've had powers all along? That's incredible!"

"Yeah, but I don't even know how to use them," Shadow dejectedly sighed. "I can take down entire buildings and even fly, but only when I'm really upset or angry. I can't actually activate them by Will, but maybe Gaia could help me. You know where she is?"

Raph and Donnie looked at each other uneasily before the former gently touched Shadow's shoulder. "Shadow, the Shredder kidnapped Gaia while you were gone."

Shadow's heart instantly dropped at the news. "What...? But why?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Donnie softly said with a troubled expression. "We're thinking it may have something to with her powers, like when he held you hostage and tried to force you to use yours. Whatever he has planned, it requires someone with telekinetic abilities."

"Telekinetic..." Shadow immediately thought back to when the Shredder kidnapped her and put her to the test under the pressure of him killing her parents. But whatever plans he had with her were delayed after Newtralizer zapped her into the other dimension and he has therefore moved on to Gaia. He seemed determined, maybe even desperate, to find someone with the natural gift of moving things with their mind.

The Utrom Ch'rell also needed her powers to elevate the Mutagen Bomb above the city and detonate it. His goal was to create a so-called "perfect" world that he could rule over as its god. But unsurprisingly, every world he ever conquered and recreated failed to meet his expectations. She didn't know what the Shredder wanted with her or what his plans were, but if-

Wait a minute.

"Hold on," Shadow eye's widened and her brows raised in sudden realization. "What if...the Emperor and the Shredder...are the same person?"

Both Donnie and Raph looked at her puzzled. "Huh?" the latter said.

"I-I mean, what if the Emperor was, you know, an alternate version of the Shredder? In that world, he forced my mom to destroy the world and remade it into a utopia for mutants. Maybe...maybe that's why he needs Gaia. He's gonna use her to destroy our world like the other him did in that dimension."

"Whoa, whoa, hold up," Donnie raised his robotic hand for her to stop. "You're assuming that the Shredder is actually an Utrom, and that he has a Mutagen Bomb hidden somewhere?"

"You know," Raph slowly nodded in agreement, "it actually makes sense."

Donnie looked over at his brother. "What?"

"It's pretty obvious that the Shredder isn't human, and he knows an awful lot about the O'Neil family's history with the Kraang."

"Yeah," Shadow nodded. "And I just remembered something. The Foot ninja who jumped off the building that night, before he died, he pulled out this really weird gun on me, and looking back, I think it was Kraang tech."

"You're absolutely sure?" Donnie pressured. She firmly nodded. The Turtle then turned to his older sibling. "Okay, then. We are _definitely_ going to pay the Utroms a visit."

* * *

When the trio arrived at the old lair in the sewers, Chompy was asleep in the T.V area, lying on his shell with his belly up and snoring loudly. Shadow held back a giggle as she slowly tiptoed toward the sleeping space turtle. Once she got close enough, she started to scratch him on the tummy and immediately one of his eyes popped open.

Shadow grinned big at him. "Hey, boy. Did you miss me?"

Chompy's long tail wagged like crazy and his jaws opened into an excited pant with his tongue stuck out. He even started whimpering as he flipped over and licking her face.

She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the nose. "Aww, I missed you, too. Like crazy."

Then she heard someone running into the living room and turned around to see Karai standing behind the couch. The kunoichi's brown eyes widened in surprise and a big smiled formed on her lips. "SHADOW!" She ran to the teen and hugged her tight.

Shadow hugged her back with all her might. "Karai! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Same!" Karai pulled away and wiped a tear from her eye with her thumb. "For a while, I thought you were dead! Where did you disappear to?"

"It's a long and complicated story, Karai," Shadow sighed tiredly as she sat down on the couch. Chompy laid down at her feet, his tail still wagging happily. "It's just so good to be back home."

Raph smiled and playfully ruffled her hair as he passed her by. He walked on to his bedroom door and slowly opened it. It was dark inside with the old jack-o-lantern serving as the only light. A figure was lying in his bed, buried under the covers, but a long blue tail hung all the way down to the floor, its blue scales shimmering in the faint orange light.

He crept onto the bed and laid himself down on the other side, slowly lifting the covers and peeking in. "Mona?" he whispered.

The Salamandrian fluttered her golden eyes open and smiled softly at him. "Hey," she whispered back.

He smiled back and caressed her cheek. "Hey. You won't believe who just came back."

Mona thought for a moment before her eyes went big and she sat up in the bed. "Shadow Jones?"

Raph nodded and sat up with her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. He rested his chin on her shoulder and let out a soft sigh. "I knew she would find her way back home."

Mona nodded and ran her fingers over the dome of his bald head. "Of course she did. She's _your_ student, after all. You taught her everything she knows."

The Turtle chuckled and shook his head. "No. She's always been strong and resourceful. I immediately saw the potential in her when we first met. I'm not as great a teacher as Splinter was." He closed his eye and let out another sigh. "But I'm an even worse brother."

At this, Mona pulled away and gently touched his cheeks, looking at him with sad eyes. "Raphael, you were the one who brought the family back together."

Raph shook his head in her hands. "Only at Mikey's encouragement. Even after death, our little brother is still looking after us. But where was I for thirty years? Hiding from my problems in the woods. I could've been for my brothers but I wasn't."

"But you are now," Mona softly told him as she rubbed his muscular arms in comfort. "And it's not just your family. You saved me from a lifetime of abuse and depression. I'm not the proud warrior I was in my youth. But you are still as strong and amazing as you were when we first met. You may not believe in yourself, Raphael..." She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Raph's. "...but I do. We _all_ do."

Raph smiled gratefully at her and nuzzled her nose with love. "Thanks, babe. I can't stay long, though. We need to go to Dimension X."

Mona looked at him in surprise. "Dimension X? Why?"

"Well, we think that the Shredder is actually an Utrom. A crazy one, at that. What was his name again? Shell? Carell?"

Mona's eyes widened in both shock and horror. "Ch'rell?" she choked.

"Yeah, that's it. Wait...you know him?"

...

"...and then I jumped through the portal, almost landing on top of Ronny." Shadow had just finished telling her story to Karai, who sat on the couch next to her. "God, I'll never take indoor plumbing for granted ever again."

Karai laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll bet."

Chompy whimpered and pawed at Shadow's leg, begging for more attention. The teen chuckled as she scratched under his chin, then she took her phone out of her pocket and pulled up her photos. When she got to the selfie of her and the meerkat siblings, she showed it to Karai. "I made some new friends in that world. You would've really liked Mira and Kal."

Just then Donnie stepped out of his lab and into the living room. "I just spoke with Bishop. The Utrom Council has agreed to have a meeting with us in Dimension X."

"I've never been to Dimension X," Shadow said a bit nervously. "What's it like there?"

"All kinds of weird," Donnie said with a grin. "And not the kind of weird that up you're used to by now. Oh, and you'll need this." He handed her a device that looked like a necklace. "There's no oxygen in Dimension X, but this will help you to breathe."

...

Bishop arrived at the lair about an hour later through a portal, which led Donnie, Shadow, and Raph straight to the room where the Council would usually hold their meetings. Queen and Rook were already at table waiting for them and wearing their usual human disguises.

The queen of the Utroms smiled at the trio as they all walked in. "Welcome Turtles. Welcome, Shadow Jones."

"It's been a long time, Your Highness," Donnie said as he bowed his head to her, but then he noticed the Council was missing a member. "Wait, where's Pawn?"

Queen and Rook looked at each other sadly at the mention of their friend's name. Even Bishop, who was usually stone-faced, showed some emotion by raising his inner brows.

"Pawn...gave his life to protect us from K'Vathrak's assault on the Utroms ten years ago," Rook said softly.

"Oh," Raph nodded. "Newtralizer."

"Yes," Bishop said grimly. "The Salamandrian had suddenly become very powerful and managed to wipe out nearly all of our kind. We are all that's left, I'm afraid."

"Well, you don't need to worry about him anymore," Raph assured him, punching the palm of his hand. "I took care of that stupid lizard. Permanently."

"K'Vathrak is dead?" Queen asked surprised.

"Yeah, but unfortunately, the world is still in grave danger," Donnie said. "We have reason to believe that a rogue Utrom is trying to mutate the entire planet. He's taken over the Foot Clan as the new Shredder, but his real name is Ch'rell. Does that name sound familiar to any of you?"

Both Queen and Rook gasped loudly at the mention of that name, but a skeptical Bishop merely grunted. "That's impossible. Ch'rell died over three thousand years ago."

"Oh, really?" Raph raised an eye ridge and crossed his arms. "If he's dead, then why did Mona Lisa see him with Newtralizer and Dregg as they destroyed her people? She became hysterical when I mentioned his name."

"Hmmmm," Queen rubbed her chin. "Well, we never did find his body, so it could be possible. Please, have a seat, all of you."

They all took their seat at the table, and a huge holographic screen projected from the ceiling and above their heads. On that screen played footage of Ch'rell commanding an army of Utrom soldiers who marched forward in their standard droids.

"Ch'rell was once a well-respected and admirable general who commanded our army," Bishop narrated as the footage played. "There was never an enemy that we couldn't defeat under his leadership. But as the years passed, Ch'rell became increasingly obsessed with religion, and he longed for the power and control that a deity would over his loyal subjects. He wanted to start with his own kind."

The screen now showed Ch'rell and the Utrom Kraang (before he became the giant Kraang Prime) conversing with each other in a lab.

"After the scientist Kraang discovered mutagen and its affects on the mind, Ch'rell secretly met with him and proposed a way to brainwash our people with the strange yet powerful substance and make them into mental slaves that would worship him as a god. But what he didn't anticipate was that Kraang would use it on himself to mutate into a monster with psychic abilities and enslave the majority of us."

"The rest of us were forced to go into hiding, but when it was discovered that Ch'rell had conspired against us, we arrested him and placed him in our prison facility. But he managed to escape and an intergalactic chase ensued."

Several Utrom ships were now pursuing a lone one, which obviously belonged to Ch'rell. They all headed straight toward an asteroid belt.

"We tried to warn Ch'rell that it was too dangerous to fly into the asteroid field, but he was desperate. And as we had feared, his ship crashed into a rock and was destroyed."

As Bishop finished his narrative, Ch'rell's ship flew into an asteroid and exploded into a ball of orange fire. The screen then disappeared, and Bishop stood up from his seat. "As you can see, the odds of him surviving that are extremely high."

"Well, it looks like Ch'rell overcame those odds," Donnie concluded, "because now he's planning to destroy mankind, and he's going to force my girlfriend to do it." He suddenly yelled in frustration and anger and brought his fist down on the table. "It's because of me that he has her! How could I have been so _stupid_?!"

"Hey, hey," Raph got up from his chair and rushed over to his brother, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll rescue her, Donnie. I promise."

Shadow turned to Queen. "Um, Your Highness? I just found out that I inherited my Mom's powers. Well, technically...Grandma's. But I'm, like, really rusty and can't control them. Do you guys have a, you know, training program or something that could help me to learn how to use them? And I need to learn quick."

Queen looked at her sympathetically and shook her head. "I'm afraid that's something we, ourselves, can't help you with. You will need someone who is also gifted but has more experience, like your mother."

Shadow sighed dejectedly. Her mother didn't even have powers anymore thanks to Shredder, plus she was pregnant and still a little traumatized. The only other option was Gaia, but she, too, had been kidnapped by the Shredder. So that meant that she was on her own at this point.

"So you'll help us take down Ch'rell then?" Donnie asked Bishop.

Bishop grunted and nodded. "If Ch'rell is indeed alive, then it is our mess to clean up. We will do everything we can to help. But if we are to defeat him and his Foot Clan, we will need an army of our own."

"Well, we don't have an army," Raph rubbed his chin as he pondered on this. "But we do know someone who does. Problem is, she holds a bitter grudge against our brother Leo for good reason."

Shadow looked over at her uncle in shock. "Wait, you're not thinking about...?"

Raph firmly nodded. "It's our only chance, kid. We can only hope that she'll put aside her anger and help us save the world."

"Wait, who are we talking about here?" Donnie asked the two.

Raph looked down at his cyborg brother and said, "Alopex and the Fox Clan."


	47. A Truce

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"I'm telling you, Raph, this is crazy."

The two Turtle brothers walked down the dark tunnel of an abandoned subway, where the Fox Clan supposedly were supposedly headquartered (at least according to a tip from Pete). Donnie had a flashlight built into his robotic arm and used it to guide them through the darkness.

"If what you told me is true," Donnie continued, "then walking right into their territory is suicide."

"Alopex will listen if we mention that the fate of the world is at stake," Raph said assuringly.

"Need I remind you that you drove a spear _right through her shoulder_?"

"Leo would've killed her if I hadn't done something. I actually saved her life."

"'Saved her life'. Right. She might not agree with you on that."

"Maybe not. But she will agree that the Shredder and the Foot have to be stopped no matter what."

Donnie sighed and shook his head. "Let's hope so."

They continued on for about half an hour before they suddenly heard the sound of someone's feet rapidly tapping nearby. They both drew their weapons out and stood very still, waiting for the next sound. But for a while, there was nothing but the soft howling of the wind that blew into the empty tunnels.

"Maybe it was just a rat?" Donnie whispered.

Just as Raph opened his mouth to respond, something sharp embedded itself into his neck, causing the Turtle to cry out and drop to his knees.

"RAPH!" Donnie knelt over his brother and was shocked to see a dart in his neck, dreading that it was filled with poison or some other harmful substance. He reached to pull it out when something bit into left shoulder. "Ow! What in the...ohhh, crap."

He quickly pulled the dart out of his shoulder and tried to pull Raph to his feet, but his brother felt so heavy and he wasn't moving. To Donnie's dismay, Raph had lost consciousness, and he, himself, was becoming drowsy. His vision became blurry and every sound was distorted, and right before he closed his eyes and fell into a world of darkness, he saw redish figures surrounding him and Raph.

...

Donnie awakened with a startle after ice cold water came crashing down on his head. He tried to move his arms, but he quickly realized that they had been tied behind his shell with rope. He then looked up and a fox mutant in ninja attire was standing over him with a dripping bucket in his hands. He smiled at the Turtle sadistically and walked around him.

Donnie felt him grab his fleshy arm and was pulled to his feet before being shoved forward. "Wait, what's going on?" he demanded as he turned to look back at the fox. "Where are you taking me?"

The ninja said nothing and continued to push him toward a group of fox mutants who had gathered at the back entrance of a subway car. When they heard him approach, they parted like the sea and allowed him through.

Standing in the car with her paws folded behind her back was Alopex, herself. She looked exactly as he last saw her thirty years ago, only older. She stared down at him with cold hazel eyes as he was forced to kneel before her.

"Donnie!"

Said Turtle turned his right to see Raph kneeling next to him, also bound and wet. "You okay, bro?" his one-eyed brother asked him.

Donnie nodded. "I just know I'll be having a massive headache afterwards."

"Raphael." All eyes turned to the clan master, who angrily narrowed her eyes at the older Turtle. "You must have a death wish to come into _my_ domain, especially after what happened at the museum."

"Alopex, listen-" Raph started to get up but was pushed back down by a ninja.

"She's right." Ninjara stepped out from the crowd and stood over Raph with her paws on her hips. "You got a lot of nerve showing up here. You almost killed our master."

Raph glared up at his former stalker. "I saved her from being killed, Ninjara."

"Bull!" Ninjara snapped. "We almost had the Serpent! Master Alopex could've regained her honor! But then you robbed her of that opportunity by mortally wounding her!"

"There's no honor in taking a life," Raph sternly said. "And none of you know Leo like I do. You don't know what he's capable of."

"Enough," Alopex ordered, and Ninjara immediately bowed to her in both respect and apology. "Why did you come here, Turtles?"

"We came to propose a truce between our two clans," Raph announced. "We desperately need your help."

Alopex scoffed and crossed her arms. "Obviously. And what situation could possibly be so dire that you would come begging to me for help?"

"It's the Foot," Donnie told her. "Their leader is planning something catastrophic that could destroy all of humanity."

"Why should we care?" Alopex hissed. "We are no longer humans. We are mutants."

"There's no guarantee that you and your clan will survive it, Alopex. It will also wipe out a significant portion of the mutant population. You can't just ignore this."

"I am not worried. We are survivors."

Raph had finally lost his patience with the fox. "You don't understand!" he angrily shouted. "This Mutagen Bomb of his, it's either going to mutate or kill us all! Even if you survive it, you'll be double mutated into a freak of nature!"

Alopex snarled at him with her ears flattened. "Do you know how delusional you sound right now? A Mutagen Bomb?"

"The Kraang tried it once," Donnie calmly said. "But luckily we were able to diffuse the bomb in time. We might not get so lucky this time, not without an army."

"And you're referring to _my_ army, of course?" Alopex huffed.

Raph nodded. "Yes. Please, Alopex. I know Leo caused you so much pain, and I can't change what he did. But if we don't stop the Shredder, billions of people will die. Innocent people. Babies and children. Are you really going to let them perish simply because they're not mutants?"

Alopex's face seemed to soften a bit as she considered this. Raph held his breath as he waited for her response.

"You are still asking me to fight alongside the Serpent," she said softly in a voice that trembled slightly. "My brother's murderer."

Raph closed his eye and sighed. "I know this doesn't justify what he did, but you have to understand, he had just lost his own brother, and like you, he wanted vengeance. Mikey's death changed all of us, especially Leo. He lost his faith in our Sensei and felt betrayed, but he also blamed himself. He still believes that Mikey died because he was too weak and too soft on the enemy. That's why he's hardened his heart and shows no mercy."

He stood up and this time, no one pushed him back down on his knees. "This may seem hard to believe, but Leo's not evil. He's just lost and angry, like you, Alopex."

Alopex became surprised at Raph's statement, but not offended.

"But I believe in you," he told her with a soft smile. "And I believe in my brother. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be here, would I?"

The clan master stared down at her feet in thought, then she glanced up at her soldiers. "Release them, but do not let them leave the subway. I need to think about this." She then turned and walked back into the subway car, shutting the door behind her.

Raph and Donnie's ropes were cut and they stood with the rest of the foxes, waiting for Alopex to make her decision. It felt like hours, although according to Donnie, who had a clock in his robot arm, it had been only forty minutes, and while they waited, Ninjara started a conversation with Raph.

"So, how's the rookie doing?" she asked him.

"Huh? Oh, you mean Shadow. She's doing great. She's not a rookie anymore, though," he said with a smirk. "In fact, she's recently discovered a new power: she can move things with her mind."

Ninjara looked at him surprised, but then she chuckled and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Good one, hon."

Raph chuckled and shook his head. "No, really. Her mom had the same gift and now she can do it. So next time you decide to slash her shoulder again, she might snap your neck first." He then snapped his finders for emphasis. "Just like that."

The fox's smile dropped and her golden eyes went big. The look on her face was priceless.

At the squeak of the door opening, everyone turned to the subway car. Alopex stepped down and walked up to Raph, her paws folded behind her again. "I have come to a decision."

"Yes...?" Raph eagerly leaned forward.

"We will help you."

Both Turtles let out heavy sighs of relief, and Raph smiled from ear to ear. "Alopex, I can't thank-"

"However..."

Raph immediately shut his mouth. He should've known that there'd be a catch.

"...I expect something in return."

"Oh. And uh...and what is it that you want?" he hesitantly asked.

Behind him, Donnie gulped nervously, not at all liking where this was going.

* * *

Shadow took a deep breath before she slowly opened the door to her parents' bedroom. She peeked her head in and saw her mother in bed and drinking carrot juice, as recommended by her doctor. "Mom?"

April looked up at her and smiled sweetly as she set her glass down on the drawer. "Come in, honey."

Shadow walked over to April's side of the bed and kissed her mother's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," April took her hand and rubbed it with her thumb lovingly. "Now that you're back home and our family's complete." She placed Shadow's hand over her stomach, and the teen got goosebumps when she felt the baby kick. April giggled and patted her tummy with her other hand. "Your little brother is happy to see you."

Shadow smiled a little and nodded. "Heh, yeah. Mom, I...I need to talk to you about something."

April frowned in concern and gently touched Shadow's cheek. "What's wrong, baby?"

"While I was in the other dimension, I discovered...some things about myself."

"Such as?"

"Well...I have powers."

April blinked, not sure if she heard her right. "I-I'm sorry?"

"The same powers you had before, they were passed on to me. I can move things with my mind."

"You can?!" April started to get up but her daughter gently pushed her back down.

"Mom, please," Shadow softly said. "Don't get too excited. Yeah, I can move stuff, but I'm kinda rusty. Well, okay, I suck at it. I can only use my powers whenever I get upset or angry."

"That's okay, honey," April said as she patted her daughter on the shoulder. "I started out rusty, too. It will take time and patience, but you'll master them to perfection."

"Yeah, but see, that's the problem," Shadow huffed. "I don't have all the time in the world to learn how to use them. This crazy Utrom's getting ready to drop a bomb on us and I can't stop him with just my sucky ninja skills."

"Shadow, listen to me," April gently lifted Shadow's chin and looked straight into her green eyes. "Powers are nice to have, but the Turtles saved the world countless times without them. You won't need them, either."

But her mother's words did little to boost her confidence and she pulled away from her touch with a sigh. "I'm not so sure about that, Mom. But that's not the only thing I learned in that dimension." She took a deep breath and took both of her mother's hands. "And you gotta promise that you won't freak out after I tell you, 'cause I don't want you to have a miscarriage."

April furrowed her brows in confusion but nodded. "I promise, honey. Go ahead and tell me."

Shadow bit her lower lip and gently squeezed April's hands, her eyes focused on her mother's wedding ring. "I...know the truth about my birth, Mom."

April's blue eyes went wide. "...W-What...?" she said barely below a whisper.

"I was never born at all, was I?" Shadow continued, still looking down. "I was created by the Kraang, and I'm actually Grandma's clone."

At that moment, it felt like the whole world stopped spinning, and April simply stared at her daughter in horror. She had always known that she would one day have to tell Shadow the truth, but this was unexpected and all of a sudden, and there was no point in denying it now.

"How...who told you?" she choked.

Shadow finally lifted her eyes to her mother's shocked face. "No one. I figured it out on my own. And you know what?" She smiled sadly at April and wrapped her arms around her neck in a hug. "It's okay. I know why you and Dad never told me, but I accept who I am. I'd be lying if I told you that it doesn't bother me at all, but it's does to a lesser degree now. And this doesn't change anything. You're still my mother, and you always will be."

April's eyes glistened with tears as she listened to Shadow's touching words, and she wrapped at arm around her daughter as she stroked her blonde hair. "Oh, sweetie," she softly cried, the tears now trailing down her cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry. I should've told you a long time ago, but...I just wanted you to have a normal life."

"I know, Mom," Shadow whispered, soothingly rubbing April's back. "You did your best, you and Dad both, and I couldn't ask for better parents. Besides..." She pulled away and gave her a lopsided grin and shrug. "When have we O'Neils ever lived 'normal' lives?"

April chuckled weakly and dried her tears. "You have a point. Now...how will we break the news to your father?"

 **So now April knows that Shadow has found out the truth about her past. However, what could Alopex possibly want from Raph...?**


	48. A Team Again

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 _He slowly opened the doors and stepped outside, facing the barrels of the guns that were all pointed at him._

 _The commissioner took a daring step forward and spoke into the megaphone, "Serpent, put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees!"_

 _Without saying a word, the Serpent slowly reached for the swords behind his shell. The message was clear: he wasn't going to be taken alive._

 _"Stop!" the commissioner shouted. "Stop or we'll shoot!"_

 _He unsheathed his weapons, the flashing red and blue lights of the patrol cars reflecting off the blades. He bent one knee as he prepared to attack._

 _For the very last time._

 _"NOOOOOO!" Donatello ran down the street as fast as he could, reaching out to the policemen whose backs were turned to him. The white gold Rolex on his wrist shimmered under the street lights._

 _The Serpent let out a roar of defiance as he charged straight at them._

 _Donnie felt every gunshot that hit his brother and dropped to his knees, watching helplessly as the other Turtle's body jerked with each impact. After the bullets stopped coming and the vigilante fell to the concrete floor, the cyborg found the strength to get up again and pushed his way through the crowd of men in uniform._

 _His brother lay in a pool of blood, over twenty bullet holes in his plastron. The red streams that flowed out of them washed away the image of the black snake, signifying the end of the Serpent's reign over New York._

 _Donnie began to weep as he reached for the black mask and gently pulled it off..._

 _..._

He awoke with a startle and realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch in the lair. Sighing tiredly, he rubbed his face with his normal hand and sat up with his feet on the carpet floor.

That dream...that _nightmare_ felt so real. Too real, in fact. It wasn't the first time he had a vision of Leo covered in bullet holes and dying in front of him. Why did he keep seeing these things? A premonition, perhaps? These days, he just didn't know anymore.

 _ **"Morning, Daddy!"**_

Metalhead ran to the couch with Celeste in his arms. The cat purred loudly and licked his large metal fingers. Donnie growled in annoyance. Sure, she would show affection toward the robot but not him, and he was the one who took her in after her owner disappeared.

"You finally up?" Raph walked into the living room with two cups of coffee in his hands, giving one to Donnie and then sitting down in a chair.

Donnie sniffed and took a sip of his much-needed caffeine. "Mmm-hmm."

Raph frowned when he noticed how pale his brother's face was. "You okay, Donnie? You look like you just seen a ghost."

"Nightmare," Donnie softly said as he rubbed his left eye. "I guess it's from all the stress lately."

"Hmm," Raph nodded and sipped his coffee. "Maybe."

Donnie sighed as he leaned back into the couch. "I still can't believe you made that deal with Alopex."

"Well, we had no choice, Donnie," Raph grumbled. "It could've been worse, though."

"I know but still- Oof!" Chompy all of a sudden appeared and pinned Donnie to the couch, licking his face with his tail wagging excitedly. "Ooh...! Chompy...!" Donnie struggled to push the much bigger turtle off of him. Raph chuckled as he pulled Chompy away, but not before the latter could give Donnie one more sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Eewuck," the inventor wiped off some stringy slobber. "Well, at least one pet here likes me."

Celeste wiggled out of Metalhead's arms and sprinted over to where Raph sat, jumping onto the Turtle's lap and curling up.

"Seriously?" Donnie sighed and set his cup down on the table. "Okay, we've got an army now, but we still have to get Leo out of jail."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Raph said as he scratched Celeste under her chin. "You know the passcodes to the security systems."

"Yeah, but they could've changed them after I got fired," Donnie pointed out. "They were furious with me after I freed all the prisoners that night. The mayor has made it very clear that he never wants me near that place again."

"So? We can still sneak in ninja-style. Like the good old days."

"Yeah, we could but..." Donnie sighed as he rubbed his temples. "It's just...I'm still not sure if this is right thing to do."

Raph gently set Celeste down on the floor and walked over to his brother. "I understand your doubts, Donnie," he said as he touched the other Turtle's shoulder. "But I still have faith that Leo will see the light and come back to the family. You'll see."

Donnie looked up at his brother. "That's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what is it?"

"What if..." Donnie shuddered as he replayed the dream in his head. "What if Leo goes back to his old ways and the cops actually manage to kill him? As cruel as this sounds, I'd rather he live out the rest of his days in jail than be shot down like a dog."

"And if they give him the death penalty?" Raph asked him with a grim expression. "You really want to see our brother strapped down on a table and then given lethal injection?"

Donnie closed his eyes and cradled his head in his hands. "I don't know, Raph," he mumbled. "I just don't know."

"He won't get a second chance behind bars. This isn't just about saving the Earth. We have to save Leo, too. And you know what I mean by that."

Donnie nodded as he lifted his head, a small and somewhat somber smile on his face. "Yeah, I do. Okay, Raph, I'll trust you on this."

Suddenly Metalhead painfully grabbed the sides of Donnie's head. "OW! Metalhead, wh-?!" Using his metal thumbs, the robot lifted the corners of his master's mouth into an awkward smile.

 _ **"Cheer up, Daddy!"**_ Metalhead chirped happily. _**"Smile! Mommy loves your smiles!"**_

His heart clenched at the mention of Gaia, the apple of his eye and the love of his life. Metalhead was right in that she would've wanted him to stay optimistic and out of depression. And so he put on a genuine hopeful smile, and sure enough, most of the worry and other negative feelings faded from his heart.

He reached up to affectionally pat Metalhead on the side of his face. "Thanks, Metalhead. Daddy feels a lot better now."

 _And I promise you,_ he thought to himself, _we_ will _rescue Mommy and bring her back home, no matter what it takes._

* * *

He pedaled as fast as he could down the street and roads that lead to her neighborhood.

When Danny Pennington received a call from Casey Jones that Shadow had returned, he wasted no time in getting on his bike and riding it all the way from his apartment to the O'Neil house. By the time he had arrived, his shirt was soaked in sweat and his hair stuck to his forehead, but he didn't care.

He set his bike against the mailbox and ran up the driveway to the front door. He eagerly rang the doorbell three times, and just as he was about to push the button the fourth time, the door opened.

Casey greeted him with a friendly grin. "Hey, kid. That was fast."

"Is she...still home?" Danny said in between pants.

"No, she went out with her mother just an hour ago. But they'll be back soon. Why don't you get in the shower while we wait?"

Danny looked down over his sweaty self and nodded. "Yeah, good idea. Thanks."

As Danny took a quick shower in the guest bathroom, Casey took his clothes and threw them in the washer so that they would be clean by the time Shadow and April arrived. A little less than two hours later, the two ladies walked in through the front door, but Danny stayed hidden in kitchen while Casey met with them in the living room.

"Welcome home!" Casey kissed April on the cheek and playfully ruffled Shadow's hair. "How are my two favorite girls in the whole wide world?"

Danny peeked his head out from the kitchen and gasped softly when he saw Shadow, whose back was facing toward him. Both she and her mother heard that sigh, though, and quickly turned around. The boy grinned nervously and stepped into the living room, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

"Danny...?" Shadow's green eyes were wide and big.

"Hey, Shadow," Danny meekly said, giving her a tiny wave. "How-How are you?" He mentally slapped himself. _Seriously?! That's the first thing you say to her?!_

While Shadow and Danny stared at each other, April pulled her husband aside and whispered to him, "What's Danny Pennington doing here?"

"Honey, relax," Casey soothingly told her. "He just wanted to see her."

April glanced over at the teenage boy nervously. "But he's in the Foot, remember?"

"Not anymore. If it weren't for him, we'd both be dead, as well as little Mikey. Come on, Red, let's talk upstairs." He took her hand and helped her up the stairs, leaving the two teens alone in the living room.

For a while, neither of the two even made a sound. They just stared at each other, and an awkward silence hovered over them in the room. What could they say? They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend anymore and had a nasty breakup before she disappeared. He lied to her about who he was, and then his boss kidnapped and mutilated her mother. There was just no way she could ever forgive him, even after he helped Raph rescue her and her parents.

Finally, Danny broke the silence. "I, uh...I really like your new haircut," he softly said with a small, shy smile.

"Thanks," Shadow mumbled, looking away and instead focusing on the china vase that stood on the drawer next to him.

Her cold response made him feel even more guilty and he bit his lower lip as he, too, glanced to the side.

Shadow took a deep breath and let out a soft sigh. "Well, this is awkward."

Danny couldn't help but chuckle sadly. "Yeah, no kidding."

"Did you finally tell your Dad about the Foot?"

"Yeah, I did."

She finally looked directly at him. "And?"

"He got really pissed. He's pretty much disgusted with me. I thought we were estranged before but now..." He sighed heavily and rubbed his hand through his curly brown hair. "I don't think he even loves me anymore."

"No, that's not true," she softly told him, feeling sympathy for the boy. "He'll always love you no matter what."

" _My_ Dad? I wish," he scoffed. "You're lucky to have Mr. Jones as a Dad. You really are. Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about my daddy issues. When I heard that you came back, I just had to see you again. I know you hate me for tricking you, but the truth is, I don't really care. All I care about is that you're alive," he smiled sadly at her. "And I hope that one day you'll forgive me and we can at least be friends again. I just wanted to tell you that." He then walked to the door and reached for the doorknob.

"Wait." Shadow rushed over to him and placed her hand over his before he could turn the knob. The boy looked at her with surprised blue eyes and slightly flushed cheeks. She sighed as she gently pulled his hand away from the door and then let go. "Look, I don't hate you, okay?"

"What?" Danny said softly. "But...back in the cell, you said you-"

"I mean, I don't hate you anymore. You saved my parents, after all. You knew the Foot would kill you for betraying them but you did it anyway, and you did it all for me."

A hopeful smile formed on his lips. "So...does this mean you and I could be...?"

She immediately knew what he implied, but she somberly shook her head. "No, Danny," she said in a quiet and sad voice. "After everything that's hsppened, I honestly don't think we could ever be more than just friends."

Danny felt his heart ripped right in half at her words, but he kind of figured that she would say no and he nodded as he bit his lower lip. "I understand," he said softly, trying his best not to cry in front of her.

Shadow saw his inner struggle and surprised him with a peck on the cheek. "But who knows? Maybe someday I'll change my mind, but right now...I just need my change and time to think things over, you know? Plus, I've got a lot on my plate right now. The Shredder's up to no good again, and this time he's planning on destroying the world."

"Destroying the...?" Danny couldn't believe his ears. "Are you serious?"

She nodded with a grim expression. "He's also kidnapped a really good friend of mine, and if we don't do something soon, she'll die with the whole city."

"Well, then I'm helping you stop him," Danny declared.

She looked at him surprised. "You're...? But if the Foot finds out that you-"

"I'm not afraid of the Shredder or the Foot anymore. You gave me the courage to stand up to them for once, and I want to fix my immensely screwed up life."

"Danny-"

"You can't change my mind about this, Shadow. I need to do this, not just for you, but also for myself. So...there."

The blonde kunoichi was at a loss for words, so she instead wrapped her arms around him in a grateful hug. "Thanks, Danny," she whispered.

Danny's heart pounded so hard and so fast that it felt like it burst right out of his chest, and his arms shook as he returned the hug. "S-Sure," he stuttered as he blushed.

From upstairs, Casey grinned with pride as he watched the two teens hug each other. It seemed like the plan to get them back together was working out rather smoothly.

* * *

"All right, lights out, maggots!"

All of the lights in the facility were switched off, and the prisoners were left in total darkness. One prisoner, the most infamous of them all, fell asleep almost immediately in the chair to which he was chained to. But then he heard voices whispering to each other in front of his cell.

"Think they'll execute him?" one of the guards asked his co-worker.

"I hope so," the other grumbled. "I mean, who goes around cutting other people's heads off? Psychopaths, that's who. He's too dangerous to be on the streets."

"Well, to be fair, the streets were a lot safer for the last thirty years thanks to him."

"You're actually defending the bastard?"

"No, I...come on, man, don't give me that look. I just-"

"The Serpent needs to be punished just like any other person who takes the law into his own hands and-"

Just then Leo heard the two guards grunt and drop to the floor. Confused, he lifted his head and saw two dark figures standing in front of his cell and over the guards. Their shapes looked awfully familiar...

"Leo."

Said Turtle's eyes widened at the sound of his immediate younger brother's voice. "R-Raph...?"

Donnie reached into a guard's pocket and pulled out a security card, which he used to unlock the door to Leo's cell. The two Turtles rushed in and began to work on their brother's chains.

"What are you guys doing?" Leo whispered to them.

"What does it look like?" Raph gruffly said as he continued to work. "We're busting you out of here."

"You're _what_? But...I don't understand."

"What's not to understand?" Donnie said. "You're our brother and we don't want you to die." He grunted as he finally broke the chain in half with his robotic hand and freed Leo. "There. Now let's get going." He grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him up, but Leo refused to budge. "Leo, come on."

But Leo jerked his arm out of Donnie's grasp. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's _really_ going on."

"Leo, can't this wait?" Raph asked impatiently. "If we don't get out here soon, the guards will wake up and alert the others."

"No," Leo sternly said as he shook his head. "Tell me now."

Raph and Donnie looked up at each other, and the latter sighed and rubbed his temples. "Okay, fine. The Shredder is getting ready to activate a Mutagen Bomb, and unless we stop him as a team, more than half of the world's population will perish."

"Mutagen Bomb?" Leo looked up at his genius brother surprised. "Wait, Donnie, are you trying to tell me that the Shredder is a...?"

"That's right," Donnie nodded. "He's a rogue Utrom, and he's going to create a world for mutants and rule over them as their deity. We're preparing for war and the Fox Clan has agreed to help us, but we still need you, Leo."

Leo cast his eyes down and hung his head. "You don't need me," he said in a somber, quiet voice.

"We do, Leo," Raph gently insisted as he touched his brother's shoulder. "We got to be a team again. There's no enemy we can't beat if we work together. And if you're feeling guilty about attacking me, that's water under the bridge now. I forgave you a long time ago."

But Leo brushed his hand off, still looking downward. " _You_ forgive _me_? You're the one who turned me in, and _now_ you want to break me out?"

Raph sighed softly, feeling guilty and understanding Leo's doubt and anger. "I get why you find it hard to trust me now, and I'm so sorry that things went down the way they did between us. But you need to put aside your anger for a while until we take the Shredder down, because the fate of the Earth depends on it. We're honor-bound to protect the people and mutants of this world."

His brother still refused to look up at him, seemingly unmoved by his words.

But Raph still pressed on. "You became the Serpent because you wanted to protect the city that Mikey loved so much."

At the mention of their youngest brother's name, Leo's stone faced expression softened a little.

"I don't care if you never forgive me, Leo. But if you won't do it for us, then do it for him. If you fail to save the world, then you fail Mikey, and you definitely don't want that, do you?"

Leo winced at the very thought of failing his precious little brother. His love for Mikey was stronger than his grudge against Raph, and he wanted to do the right, noble thing for the first time in thirty years, even though he wouldn't redeem himself and his hands would still be dirty. And on top of that, no matter how he felt, he still owed Donnie and Raph for abandoning them after Mikey's funeral. In retrospect, he realized that ultimately he was the one who broke their family apart by leaving.

With a deep sigh, he stood up from his chair, thought he almost crumpled to the floor since his legs had lost most of their strength. Donnie and Raph both caught him in time and supported him as they helped him out of the cell.

"Thank you, Brother," Raph said to him with a smile, overjoyed that his brother had finally rejoined the team.

"Yeah," Donnie nodded, patting him on the chest. "Thank you.

Leo didn't say anything, but he felt like he didn't deserve their thanks. He was only doing what he should've been for the last thirty years: being there for his brothers.

 **Don't ask me what the dream at the beginning meant. You will find out in time.**


	49. Operation: Stop The Apocalypse

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will later.**

"Absolutely NOT!" April angrily slapped her hand on the kitchen table, causing both Casey and Raph to nearly jump out of their chairs.

Shadow sighed and rolled her eyes, resting her chin in her hand. "Are we really gonna go through this _again_ , Mom?" She should've known that this would happen.

Raph cleared his throat and gently touched his old friend's shoulder. "April, I understand your concern, especially after what happened with Newtralizer. But I swear, I won't let anything happen to her this time."

"Yeah, and don't forget that she has powers now," Casey pointed out. "She'll mop the floor with those punks."

"She doesn't even know _how_ to use her powers!" April snapped. "She needs more training!"

"April, we don't have _time_ to train her," Raph calmly told her.

"Exactly! She's not ready to face the Shredder!"

"Um," Shadow tried to cut in, but no one seemed to be listening. "Can I say some-?"

"It's not like she'll be facing him alone!" Casey defended. "Raph, Donnie, and Leo will fight alongside her! Plus they got an entire army of fox ninjas _and_ the Mutanimals as backup!"

"Excuse me?" Shadow tried again.

"I don't care if they have _GODZILLA_!" April nearly screamed. "I am _not_ going to lose my baby again! What if she doesn't survive the next blast? What if I lose her for good this time?"

"Hey!" Shadow raises her voice a little. As her frustration grew, the lightbulb in the lamp that hung over the table began to flicker.

"So when are you going to let her make her own decisions?" Casey snapped. "When she's thirty? You seriously need to cut the umbilical cord, Red!"

"I can't believe you're okay with this! Why do you always have to make _me_ the bad guy?! I'm just trying to be a good mother!"

"April, you _are_ a good mother," Raph patted her on the back. "But Casey's right: you're being overly protective."

"You're not her parent!" she yelled at him. "You wouldn't understand!"

"HEY!" Shadow screamed. At that very moment, the lightbulb suddenly blew up, and everyone gasped as the pieces and sparks fell down upon them. "Oops," the teen smiled sheepishly at them. At least she finally got their attention. "Sorry."

"Uh, no problem," Raph brushed a shard off his shoulder. "You have something to say, kid?"

Shadow nodded. "Yeah, I do." She then turned to April and gently took her hand. "Mom, I get it. You want to keep me safe. That's what mothers do. But keeping me under house arrest is not gonna protect me from the Shredder, let alone the Mutagen Bomb."

April looked down uneasily, seeing her daughter's point but still unwilling to let her go to war.

"And you know how stubborn I am," Shadow gave her a lopsided grin. "So you don't really expect me to just sit this one out, do you? 'Cause I didn't listen to you last time."

Despite herself, April smiled a little and chuckled softly. "No, you didn't." She sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess there's no stopping you." She looked back up at her daughter and reached to touch her cheek. "You are my daughter, after all."

Shadow smiled bigger as she placed her hand over April's. "Got that right. I want to protect you and Dad and little Mikey. I know you don't like it, but I'm going anyway. I'm old enough to make my own decisions now."

"I know," April nodded, her smile dropping into a frown. "But please... _please_ be careful. And stay close to Raph or Donnie, no matter what. Promise me now, Shadow."

"I promise, Mom."

April then grabbed her daughter in a tight hug, brushing her hand over the latter's short blonde hair. Shadow hugged back and buried her face in her mother's neck.

Raph and Casey smirked at each other. "That went better than I expected," the Turtle whispered to his friend.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the lab, Donnie plugged a power cord to his robotic arm and waited as his cybernetic components were being recharged for the upcoming fight for the fate of the Earth. On the table next to him stood a silver frame that had a picture of him and Gaia sitting on the couch back in her apartment. He sighed softly to himself as he picked it up with his other hand and rubbed his thumb over her beautiful face.

"I'm coming for you," he whispered, hoping that she would somehow hear him.

He about jumped out of his seat when he heard the doors slam open and swifty turned around. To his relief and annoyance, Dr. Rockwell walked into the lab and greeted him with a friendly grin and nod.

"Don't scare me like that, Rockwell," Donnie grumbled. "My heart is still organic, you know."

"My apologies, Donatello," Rockwell said as he approached the table and took a seat in front of the Turtle. "You seem stressed."

"Stressed? Why would I be stressed?" Donnie sarcastically said. "We're just going to war with the Foot, who, by the way, are being led by the universe's most dangerous fugitive."

Rockwell only smiled at his friend. "And you worry for your woman."

Donnie closed his eyes with a sigh and nodded. "I just hope that it's not too late. I've lost too many people in my life. And then there's the matter about Timothy. He's on the Shredder's side now, and I'll have to fight him, too, if he tries to get in my way."

"Timothy has made his own decision," Rockwell said to him softly. "You need to do what's necessary to protect everyone else."

"Easier said than done," Donnie mumbled. "You didn't know Timothy like I did. He was my friend. He even called me his hero, and I let him down. It seems that all I ever do is hurt him." He glanced over at the picture of his family on the wall, before that dreadful day thirty years ago, when they were complete and happy. "But you have a point. I have to protect what I have left, or I'll lose it all."

He heard some papers rustling and turned to see Celeste standing on the table. The cat just stared at him with her large green eyes as she slowly walked approached him. Donnie backed up a little, expecting her to pounce on him and scratch his eyes out as always, but to his surprise, she jumped right into his lap and curled up. He could feel her purrs on his legs and hesitantly scratched her on the head. This was the first time Celeste was ever affectionate to him, and he wondered if the cat had forgotten who he was.

But it was nice.

He smiled as he scratched her under her chin and heard her purr more loudly.

* * *

When Raph told him about the upcoming war and the Mutagen Bomb, the first thing Ronny did was drive to his ex-wife's house all the way in Queens. They hadn't spoken since their daughter's death, which was over twenty years ago, but he never stopped thinking about the woman that he still loved.

The house she lived in now was beautiful and in a good neighborhood. Her current husband had obviously provided her more than he ever could, but hopefully she was happy. His heart pounded against his chest as he went up the porch steps, and with a trembling finger he rang the doorbell. It felt like an eternity before someone opened the door, and to his tremendous relief, it was her.

She was as beautiful as the day she left him, with her long dark curly hair and her hazel eyes, which widened with shock as soon as she saw his face.

He smiled lovingly at her. "Hello, Christina," he said softly.

"Ronny...?" Christina briefly glanced back into the house before closing the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Listen," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I know this is very awkward-"

"Got that right," she snapped as she crossed her arms. "My husband will be home soon, and if he sees you here, how am I going to explain it to him?"

"I know. I just need a minute to talk you."

"About what, Ronny?" her voice was so cold that pierced his heart. "I thought I made it clear that I never want to see or hear from you again."

He bit his lower lip and looked down at his feet in shame. "Yeah, you did. And I know you hate me for...you know."

"Just say it, Ronny," she hissed.

"For...killing Ina." He let out a shaky sigh after saying those horrible words.

She nodded and her eyes welled with tears. "Her birthday was a few weeks ago. I tried so hard to move on and start over. I have a wonderful, smart boy, but I'm still haunted by her memory. Ina had her whole life ahead of her, and then you had to..." A tear escaped and she quickly wiped it away with her thumb. "You're a bastard, Ronny. You didn't deserve to have such a beautiful child."

Ronny didn't even bother drying his own tears and allowed them to run down his cheeks. "You're right," he said in a soft, choked up voice. "And I'll never forgive myself for it. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, either. I just came to warn you about something."

Christina raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"You have a bomb shelter somewhere or a cellar?"

She blinked a few times in confusion. "What? Ronny, what are you talking about?"

Ronny took a step forward and grabbed Christina by the shoulders, taking her by surprise. "Christina, listen to me," he said in a hushed, serious tone. "I know something that the rest of the world doesn't. This crazy alien is about to drop a bomb on New York, and I'm not talking about a nuclear bomb. This bomb will spread throughout the entire planet and kill everyone, or turn them into monsters."

Christina tried to pull away, frightened by what Ronny was saying. "Ronny, I...I don't understand."

"My closest friend is the Ninja Turtle, and he and his friends are going to try to stop this maniac. But in case they fail and he wins, I want you and your family to be prepared at least."

"Ronny-"

"It sounds unbelievable, I know, but you've got to listen to me! I didn't come all the way here to pull some kind of sick joke. This is serious. You need to protect yourselves in anyway you can."

Just then a blue Mercedes pulled up the driveway, and the driver, a man wearing a white buttoned shirt and a black necktie, stepped out along with the passenger, a preteen boy wearing a soccer outfit. The man saw Ronny and raised an eyebrow. "Christina, who's this?"

"A salesman," she quickly told him and looked at Ronny with cold eyes. "And we don't want what he's selling."

Ronny nodded understandably and shook her hand. "I'm very sorry to bother you, ma'am," he said out loud in English for her husband and son to hear. Then he whispered in Spanish to her, _No importa lo que pase, recuerda que siempre te amaré._ He then hurried down the steps and to his car.

Christina watched as he drove off and began to wonder if he really was trying to warn her about a danger that was coming.

Her husband walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey, babe. So what was that guy trying to sell?"

She then looked at him and said, "Does your brother Rico still have that bomb shelter in his garage?"

* * *

Later in the evening, from the rooftop of a building a couple of blocks away from TCRI, Leo and Karai waited for the others to come. Danny had snuck into the building a few hours before in his old Foot outfit and gathered as much information as he could. The Shredder was planning to activate the Mutagen Bomb at midnight, so they had no time to lose.

Karai glanced over at Leo, who stared at the tower before them, the ends of his black mask flowing in the wind. She smiled as she gently touched his shoulder. "It's good having you back on the team, Leo."

He didn't look at her and said softly, "I'm doing it for Raph and Donnie. I could care less what happens to me, but I have to protect my family, or at least what's left of it."

"You know, you're staring to sound like the old Leo again."

He closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "No. I'll never be my old self again. The truth is Leonardo died a long time ago."

She shook her head and moved her hand to his chest. "No, I believe he's still in there." When he finally looked at her with his midnight blue eyes, she found herself blushing and retracted her hand, looking down shyly at the streets below.

A whoosh and the sound of multiple feet landing on the rooftop behind them caused them to turn around. The entire Fox Clan stared at them intensely with their golden eyes, and their leader Alopex stood at the front. Her eyes were directly on Leo and her ears flattened and her upper lip curled into a snarl. Leo narrowed his eyes at her, but he didn't say anything and neither did she.

Karai tried to ease the tension and walked toward the clan's leader with her hand extended out to shake. "You must be Alopex. Nice to meet you."

Just then Ninjara stepped out from the crowd and stood between her and Alopex. "She doesn't shake hands," she said, but then she smirked and shook Karai's hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Sorry we're late." At that moment, Raph, Donnie, and Shadow climbed onto the rooftop and joined the group. "Had to convince the kid's mom to let her join the fight," Raph told them. He then noticed Leo glaring at Alopex and acted immediately before there was going to be another feud. He ran over to his brother and tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention. "We're not doing this now. They're going to help us win this war. Get over it."

"Yeah, we all have a common enemy," Donnie sternly told Leo. "Just for tonight, we have to work together."

Leo sighed softly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, fine," he mumbled. "By the way, where are the Mutanimals? And Bishop?"

"They'll move in on our signal," Donnie said. "But we're infiltrating the tower first, as we had planned."

"Well, well, look who it is," Ninjara chuckled as she approached Shadow. "How have you been, Rookie?"

"I'm not a rookie anymore," Shadow growled.

A sly grin formed on Ninjara's face. "So I've been told. But I can't help but wonder, isn't using telekinetic powers cheating?"

"Ninjara!" Alopex yelled, causing the other fox to become stiff and stand at attention. "Enough taunting. We're running out of time."

"Agreed," Raph said, throwing a dirty look at Ninjara. "We have an apocalypse to stop." He then turned to look at the TCRI tower and walked to the ledge. "This is it. Tonight, the fate of the world rests in our hands. If we don't stop the Shredder, everyone and everything we know will be destroyed. Ch'rell is undoubtably expecting us, so who knows what tricks he has up his sleeves?"

He stopped at the ledge and turned to the group with a grim expression. "I hate to say it, but we need to be prepared to _die_ for the Earth. If any of you wish to back out before we do this, well, now's your chance."

Of course, no one said a word and they all stood where they were, determined to end the threat no matter what came their way.

Raph smirked at them and then turned his attention back to TCRI. "Alright then. Let's do this."

 **Next chapter...THE FINAL BATTLE!**


	50. The Final Battle, Part 1

**So sorry that I'm late! So sorry! Please forgive me! :(**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

Gaia whimpered as Subprime strapped her to a metal chair, fully conscious but unable to move due to the control headband.

"I know you are afraid, Miss Mako," Ch'rell nonchalantly told her as he stared out the large open window and down at the blinking city that would soon be destroyed. "But remember, your sacrifice will create a new world for all mutants." He then walked over to her and caressed her cheek in a creepy manner. She could only close her eyes and a single tear escaped, merging with his metallic finger. "Don't worry, it will be over before you know it."

He then turned to Subprime, who now stood ready by a super computer, and nodded at him. The other Utrom punched in a few codes on the control panel and the ceiling lights immediately began to flicker as a loud hum sounded off somewhere inside the building. A timer appeared on the screen and the thirty-minute countdown began. "Shouldn't we tell those Foot kids about the bomb?" Subprime asked his boss.

"Why?" Ch'rell scoffed. "I thought I made it perfectly clear that I did not want _any_ humans in my new world. Besides, someone has to keep the Ninja Turtle and his comrades busy until the bomb detonates."

Subprime looked at him confused. "Huh? How do you know they'll even come?"

BOOM!

As if on cue, the floor began to vibrate from an explosion downstairs and and the alarms blared. Seconds later, a Foot ninja came barging in. "Master Shredder! Intruders!" he frantically announced. "It's the Ninja Turtle!"

"What?!" Subprime began to panic. "Aw, not now! Terrific!"

"Relax," Ch'rell calmly told him. "They'll never make it past Tatsu or Timothy. Prepare our ship for immediate departure."

Gaia's eyes widened at the news of Raph's arrival, and she immediately knew that Donnie was with him. She was tremendously relieved as well as scared for her lover's life.

 _Please, Donnie,_ she pleaded in her mind, hoping that he would somehow hear her. _Please don't die._

* * *

BAM!

Donnie punched another Foot ninja in the face as he fought his way through the mass to get to the elevators, with Raph and Shadow following close behind while Leo and Karai cleared the path for him. Fortunately, Alopex's ninjas had already subdued most of the Foot, being the more experienced and quicker warriors. Within minutes, Donnie reached one of the elevators and frantically pushed the up button. Once the door slid open, he, Raph, and Shadow all hopped in, but Leo and Karai stayed on the first floor with the Fox Clan.

The seconds felt like hours and an agitated and anxious Donnie repeatedly pushed up button. "Come on, come _on_...!" he growled.

Raph gently pulled his brother's hand away from the buttons. "Donnie, calm down-"

Donnie angrily pulled his hand away. "Don't tell me to calm down, Raph, okay?!" he snapped. "You wouldn't be calm if Mona Lisa were up there instead of Gaia!"

The one-eyed Turtle immediately saw the cyborg's point so he backed off and allowed him to deal with this in his own way. "Okay, little bro," he said softly. "But just so you know, you freaking out isn't going to get us there any faster."

Donnie took a deep, calming breath and exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I know," he said quietly. "I know."

"Hey," Shadow chimed in, "you think we should've brought Leo with us? I mean, we might need his help."

"No," Raph shook his head with a grim expression. "Knowing Leo, he'll kill Ch'rell when he gets the chance."

"Not to sound cruel but...who cares if he does? That little pink freak deserves it."

He looked at her surprised but understood how she felt. "'Cause that's not who we are, kid. We don't decide who lives or dies, no matter what horrible things they may have done. We only kill when we absolutely have to. Leo...he's forgotten that. But I hope that, after this is all over, he'll finally-"

All of a sudden, the elevator started to shake and the trio almost fell to the floor, and before they could even comprehend what had just happened, three massive claws tore through the ceiling and ripped it open. A large dark figure with white eyes stared down at them through the opening and growled. "You three will not pass," it said in a thick Japanese accent.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. Where had she heard that voice before? Then her eyes widened in horror when she saw the creature gnawing at the wire rope with his teeth. "SH**! We gotta bail! NOW!" She ran to the door and struggled to open it.

Raph and Donnie quickly joined her and the three were able to slide the door open. Just seconds before the rope snapped, they all leapt into the hallway before them and the elevator dropped to the bottom of the building with an echoing screech.

The creature poked his head in from the doorway, snarling at them, then manacingly crawled into the hall. The ceiling lights revealed his full form, which was a giant mole-like creature with black fur and a white mark on his chest that resembled an oni's face. He let out a terrifying roar right before he charged at the trio.

Raph instantly reached for his sai, but before he could even pull them out of his belt, but the Mole rammed into him, sending him flying down the hall. Donnie transformed his robotic arm into a laser gun and fired at the giant creature. The Mole threw his head and howled in pain as a couple of blasts hit him in the back and shoulder, then quickly turned on the cyborg.

Donnie raised his gun at the Mole, but then yelled out in both surprise and pain as the mutant chomped down on the weapon with his large teeth and ripped it from his body. Like a dog with a bone, the Mole slowly chewed on the gun, sneering at Donnie, then spat the pieces at him.

Shadow pulled out her bokken and sprinted toward the monster, who, although blind, sensed her coming at him and swiped at the teen. Thankfully she was able to duck in time, but his claws managed to break the wooden sword in half. The now defenseless teen could only dodge every deadly swipe that came at her, though she wasn't sure if she could keep it up for long.

Suddenly, the Mole howled and screeched in pain, and he swiftly turned around to reveal Raph on his back, his twin sai embedded deep into the creature's flesh. The Mole backed into the wall in an attempt to crush the Turtle, but the latter had already climbed to his neck and grabbed him in a chokehold.

He squeezed harder and held on tight despite the Mole thrashing and even rolling around on the floor. Unfortunately, the larger mutant had one more trick up his sleeve, or to be more accurate, under his fur, as small yet very sharp spikes protruded from his back and embedded themselves into Raph's arms and legs. The Turtle cried out in pain and let go, falling on his shell and hugging himself as blood oozed from the wounds.

The Mole retracted his spikes and grabbed Raph by the arm and lifted him off the floor. Raph groaned as he felt his arm being pulled out of his socket and tried kicking at the mutant, who only laughed at him.

"I will personally bring your head to Master Shredder after the world is cleansed," he said with a manevolent grin and raised his paw to deliver the finishing blow.

"Wait!" Shadow yelled.

The Mole froze and turned to the teenager behind her. "It is too late to beg for mercy, girl," he sneered.

"You're Tatsu, aren't you?" she asked, suprising the mutant. "Did the Shredder do this to you?"

"You mean, make me more powerful than any man or mutant?" he chuckled darkly and nodded. "He has, indeed, and I will repay his kindness by seeing to it that his vision for a new world comes to fruition."

"Kindness?" Donnie scoffed and stood next to Shadow. "You really think the Shredder actually cares about you?"

"No human can live in Master Shredder's mutant world," Tatsu growled. "By making me into a mutant now, he has spared me from the horrible fate that is awaits hunanity."

But Donnie shook his head. "Tatsu, don't you get it? It doesn't matter if you're a mutant. The blast can still kill you, or least double mutate you into something horrible. As long as you're still on this planet, you're just as doomed as the rest of us."

Tatsu's white eyes slowly widened in shock. "N...No," he sofly denied. "Master promised me-"

"If he really gave a crap about you," Raph weakly said, still being held up by the arm, "he would've taken you with him to whatever shelter he's got, but instead he left you here to die with us. 'Cause you're nothing but a tool to him. In fact, you're nothing at all. Get it? You've been duped."

Tatsu's face contorted with hurt and betrayal as the Turtle's harsh but true words slowly sank in, but then he lowered his brow and curled his lips into a snarl. "NO!" he bellowed as he threw Raph at Shadow and Donnie. They all grunted as he crashed right into them and fell down on the floor in a pile. "You speak lies! I'll make you _all_ suffer greatly before you die!"

Just as he was about to charge at them, he froze and let out a strangled gasp as the tip of a blade pierced right throw his chest.

"Oh, no," Raph whispered in dread. He immediately knew whose blade it was.

After a brief moment of groaning and coughing out blood, Tatsu dropped to the floor with the sword still in him, the tsuka sticking out of his back. And sure enough, Leo was standing behind him with a cold, emotionless expression on his face.

"You're supposed to be downstairs with Karai and the Fox Clan," Raph snapped as Shadow and Donnie helped him up.

"You're welcome," Leo sarcastically said as he stepped around the wounded Mole. "I heard the elevator crash so I went up the stairs to check on you. And it's a good thing I did."

"Fine," Raph sighed. "Thanks for the help. Now get back downstairs and help the others with the Foot. We got this."

"The Foot is defeated," Leo said. "Those kids were hardly a challenge for us. I'm helping you three now."

"We don't need your help, Leo," Raph growled.

The eldest smirked. "Oh, don't you? You're badly wounded and Donnie's missing an arm. And no offense, Shadow, but you can't handle this on your own."

Shadow merely shrugged and nodded. "No, I agree with you, actually. We could use your help."

"We don't need his help!" Raph yelled angrily.

"Actually, Raph," Donnie calmly said to his brother, "we do. As much as I hate to admit it, with the conditions that we're in, we can't do this without him."

Raph sighed heavily and relented. "Alright," he grumbled. "You can come with us, but you can't kill Ch'rell. If you even attempt to..." He walked up to his older brother and got nearly nose to nose with him in an intimidating manner. "...I will take you down."

Leo merely glared back at him for a moment before turning back to Tatsu to retrieve his sword. The Mole's ear twitched when he heard the Turtle approach and he struggled to lifted his neck. "Kill me..." he croaked, blood spilling down his chin and soaking his fur. "I have failed my master. I beg you...kill me."

The Serpent paused to consider this before taking the bloody blade out of Tatsu's body and putting it back in the sheath. "No," he declared to the surprise of everyone else. "I'll let fate decide whether you live or die, but you better pray that you bleed to death, because I will come for you if you don't." And with that, he turned and left Tatsu in his own puddle of blood to rejoin the others.

"So I guess we'll have to use the stairs," Donnie concluded. "Problem is, we probably won't get to the top in time."

Just then a loud whirring sound came from one of the rooms down the hall and they all immedately ran inside to see what it was. To their surprise, Bishop was standing on a floating scooter outside the building, and when he saw them coming, he obliterated the large window with a single shot of his laser gun so that he could speak with them.

"Hello, Turtles, Shadow Jones," he greeted the group with a nod.

"Bishop! Are we glad to see you!" Shadow yelled ecstatically. "Can you get us to the top?"

"I could," Bishop lifted his head and looked up into the sky, "but we have another problem."

Raph and Donnie stepped up to the open window and peeked their heads out, following Bishop's gaze. Hovering above them at the top of the building was a Kraang ship, and stepping into it from an open window was Ch'rell. As soon as he got in, the ship took off into the atmosphere and disappeared behind the grey clouds.

"Sh**," Raph cursed under his breath. "We gotta follow him."

"But we have to rescue Gaia first," Donnie sternly told him.

"Raph and I will go after him," Leo said, catching their attention. "You and Shadow can go look for Gaia and stop the bomb."

Bishop nodded in agreement. "He is right. There's only room on this vehicle for two more persons. I will take Raphael and Leonardo to Ch'rell's ship."

"But she's on the top floor!" Donnie yelled. "We won't get there in time!"

"Don't you have rocket boots or something?" Raph asked him.

"I-!" Donnie paused when he remembered that he had indeed built rockets into his robotic legs for flight. "Oh, yeah, I do, actually."

"We're wasting time," Leo said as he jumped onto the back of the scooter. "Come on, Raph!"

Before he joined his brother, Raph turned to Shadow and gave her a pat on the back with a smile. "I'm counting on you to save the world, kid."

Shadow released a shaky sigh and nodded. "I'll try my best."

He chuckled and placed his hand on the back of her head, pulling her closer so that he could press his forehead against hers. "I know you will," he said softly. "Be back in a little bit."

After Raph hopped on and the scooter took off, Shadow wrapped her arms around Donnie, who held her with his one arm and activated the rocket shoes. They flew at high speed to the top floor, and when they stepped in the room, Gaia was still strapped to the metal chair, her amber eyes becoming wide and filled with tears.

"Donnie...!" she managed to whisper, the tears now spilling down her pale cheeks.

Donnie grinned from ear to ear and his heart swelled with joy. "Gaia!" he cried out as he ran to her. But before he could reach her, a metal fist collided with his cheek and sent him flying into the wall, the impact creating a crater. He groaned as he dropped to his knees, and a pair of large, metal feet stomped toward him. He lifted his head and gasped when he saw Timothy staring down at him in his new exosuit. "Timothy...!"

Timothy narrowed his eyeballs at the Turtle from inside his jar and clenched his robotic hand into a fist before raising it to deliver another blow. " **Donnie...DIE!** "

 **Okay, here we go! Part 2 coming soon! The epic conclusion to the final battle!**


	51. The Final Battle, Part 2

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 ** _Centuries ago, on Planet Auvi..._**

 _"It baffles me," Ch'rell muttered as he stared down at the charred reptilian body at his droid's feet._

 _Bishop turned to his comrade as he recharged his gun. "What does?"_

 _"The Nevians are a intelligent creatures, and for centuries they have thrived in a civilization almost as advanced as our own." He looked back up at the burning metropolis in the distance, the smoke filling the normally green sky. "Yet they are naive enough to believe in a deity that does not exists. They've invaded other plansts and killed millions in the name of their god."_

 _"Hmmm," Bishop's droid nodded its head. "Religion is complicated. Many turn to it for hope and peace of mind, but others use it as an excuse for committing crimes and starting wars. It can change a person, for better or worse."_

 _"It's simply brainwashing," Ch'rell scoffed. "There is no omnipotent being looking down at them from the clouds, and these Nevians are fools for believing so."_

 _Bishop was about to speak when they heard someone groan under a pile of debris nearby. The two Utroms rushed over there and pulled away pieces of metal and rock to reveal a gravely wounded Nevian who was still clinging to life. The reptilian soldier slowly blinked his yellow eyes open and snarled at them, baring his bloody sharp teeth._

 _"You..." he rasped. "You damned brains stood in the way of Amallar's judgement. He was going to punish the Auvians for their disbelief."_

 _"That is why you've brought war to their planet?" Bishop asked in disbelief and disgust. "Because they don't believe in your god?"_

 _"Amallar is the only true god," the Nevian hissed. "The others are false idols. Nonbelievers must die. He commands it."_

 _"Well, guess what, Nevian?" Ch'rell chuckled darkly as he pointed his gun in the reptilian's face. "Your god is not going to save you from_ me _. And do you know why? Because he does not exist. You've killed millions for nothing, and now you will die for nothing."_

 _The other Utrom moved his arm to stop the general but it was too late. The Nevian's neck snapped backward as the laserblast went through his skull. Ch'rell chuckled again and turned to walk away, but Bishop stopped him by grabbing his arm._

 _"Ch'rell, what was that?" Bishop demanded. "He was defenseless."_

 _"You pity him?" Ch'rell growled as he pulled his arm away. "After he and his comrades murdered millions in the name of their god? What would you have done, put him in a cell? It's better to throw away garbage than to keep it."_

 _"We only kill in self-defense and in defense of others," Bishop sternly said. "That's our code, or have you forgotten, General?"_

 _"Do you remember why I was appointed General in the first place?" Ch'rell jabbed his finger into Bishop's chest plate. "Because unlike_ you _, Bishop, I never hestitate nor do I feel remorse for following orders. Besides, I just did this planet and the rest of the_ _galaxy_ _a favor." He gestured to the dead Nevian with his gun. "That's one less scum for them to deal with it. If I had the power, I would erase all of his kind from existence."_

 _Bishop calmly brushed Ch'rell's finger off his chest. "I understand how you feel, brother, but genocide is not the answer. The truth is, there will never be a society in which there is no prejudice, intolerance, or violence. In a perfect society perhaps, but it's an impossible dream."_

 _Ch'rell let out a quiet sigh as he glanced back at the battlefield that was filled with bodies, both Nevian and Auvian. "You're right. To create a perfect society, you'd have to be a god." He chuckled at the irony. "Religion may be a poison, but in the right hands, it could bring peace to the universe."_

 _..._

 ** _Three hundred years later, in Dimension X..._**

 _"CH'RELL!"_

 _Said Utrom didn't even turn to face Bishop, who came running into the lab and pointed his gun at his former friend. He remained where he stood, watching an army of Kraang march into another dimension on a large computer screen. "Bishop," he calmly greeted._

 _"We know of your conspiracy with Kraang," Bishop growled as he slowly apporached Ch'rell, never lowering his gun. "You plotted to conquer and brainwash your own people. What we all want to know is...why?"_

 _"Why?" Ch'rell turned around to face Bishop, a sneer on his face. "Because I knew that you would stand in the way of my plans."_

 _"What plans?!" Bishop demanded._

 _"I'm tired of war. I'm tired of all the unnecessary conflict and discord that has plagued the universe since the beginning of time. I want to end it all, and in order to reach that goal, I need to become something far more powerful than a general or even a king. I need to achieve the state of godhood."_

 _Bishop slightly lowered his gun in shock. "Godhood?"_

 _"You've seen firsthand the impact that religion could have over an entire civilization. And you were right: killing all of the scum in the universe wouldn't be enough. The fear of an all-powerful deity would keep them in submission, and I could reeducate them, make them more tolerant and less prejudiced. Wouldn't you want to live in such a perfect world, brother?"_

 _Bishop was at a lost of words for a moment, before he snapped out of it and raised his gun once more. "Don't give me that self-righteous and virtuous nonsense. This is about power and control."_

 _Ch'rell sighed and shook his droid's head. "I suspected that you wouldn't understood. You and the Council have fought to preserve peace and order in the universe for centuries. But there will never be peace or order as long you continue to follow the so-called Utrom Code."_

 _"The Code is what separates us from the barbarians and tyrants!" Bishop angrily yelled. "You are a power-mad criminal, Ch'rell, and in the name of the Utrom Empire, you are under arrest."_

 _Ch'rell simply chuckled. "The Utrom Empire? There_ is _no empire anymore, Bishop. There's only a handful of you left. And besides, you don't really believe that any cell could hold me?"_

 _Bishop suddenly fired his gun and blasted the head of Ch'rell's droid clean off its shoulders, causing it to power down. "Even though our group is small, we still outnumber you. You are finished."_

 _The now helpless Ch'rell snarled at Bishop, but then he smiled maliciously. "For now."_

* * *

 ** _The present..._**

"Timothy, wait!" Donnie ducked in time and Timothy's massive robotic punched right through the wall, missing the Turtle's head by a few inches. "Timothy, listen to me!"

But Timothy painfully grabbed his former hero by the head and tossed him across the room. The cyborg grunted as he crashed through the screen of the super computer.

While Timothy was distracted, Shadow took the opportunity to run to Gaia and unstrap her from the chair. She slowly and carefully removed the control headband, and once it was completely off her head, Gaia was able to move her limbs. The older woman immediately grabbed the teen in a tight hug.

"Oh, sweetie," she sobbed in her friend's shoulder. "Thank you."

Shadow gave her a quick comforting squeeze before gently pulling her off. "Gaia, where's the Mutagen Bomb? Do you know where it is?"

"I..." Gaia glanced uneasily at Timothy, who grabbed Donnie by the ankle and pulled him out of the computer. "The bomb is..."

"Gaia, where?!" Shadow snapped. "We're running out of time!"

But Gaia ignored her and got out of the chair, then to Shadow's disbelief and horror, she ran toward the raging Timothy, who had thrown Donnie to the floor and proceeded to crush his skull with his foot.

"Timothy..." Gaia raised her hand and used her powers to freeze Timothy and lifted his foot off Donnie's head. "You need to calm down. Now."

Shadow rushed to Donnie's side and pulled him away from the frozen mutant. "Uncle Donnie, are you all right?" she asked as she helped him to his feet.

Donnie groaned as he rubbed his aching head. "I feel like my head's about to split open," he grumbled. But the moment he saw Gaia, he immediately forgot the pain and walked over to her, his heart swelling with joy. "Baby..." he choked as he touched her face with his only hand and leaned in to kiss her.

But Gaia pressed a finger against his lips, stopping him. "Not now, honey. You'll break my concentration." She turned her attention back to Timothy, who glared at her with his loose eyeballs. "Timothy, please, listen. We're not your enemy."

"She's right," Shadow said with a nervous smile. "We're your friends, remember?"

" **NO!** " Timothy bellowed, causing the teen to jump. " **Shredder my only friend!** "

"Timothy," Donnie took a step forward and looked up at him with sad eyes, "the Shredder is not your friend. He's just using you."

" **At least Shredder...not try to kill me...like Donnie. All Donnie ever do...is hurt me.** "

Donnie flinched at those words, the guilt stabbing at his heart. "I know, Timothy," he said softly. "I don't deserve your forgiveness or trust after what I did to you. But you know you can trust Shadow, right? Because she's your friend."

Timothy's eyeballs looked directly at Shadow, who nodded, and they appeared to soften a bit. " **Shadow...friend?** "

"Of course I am," Shadow gently said as she walked toward him, touching the glass of his tank. "You remember what I told you back at the Pegasus restaurant? We'll find a cure and get you back to your Mom no matter what it takes."

Timothy's eyes lowered in sadness. " **No...Mom is dead.** "

Shadow's own eyes widened in shock. "What?"

" **She died... five years ago...found her obituary...she never stopped...looking for me...** " He closed his eyes and began to sob inside his tank. " **I have...no one...nothing to live for...I am alone.** "

At this hearbreaking revelation, Donnie's eyes began to water and Gaia clamped her hand over her mouth to supress a sob.

Shadow stared at the poor mutant with sad eyes before she pressed her forehead against the glass. "Aw, Tim...I'm so sorry about your Mom. But you're wrong; you're not alone." She pulled away and smiled warmly at him. "You still got us, and we'll never hurt you or leave you again."

He looked back at her with unsure eyes. " **Shadow...promise?** "

She gave his glass a friendly pat. "I promise." She then turned to Gaia and nodded. The art teacher understood and released her telekinetic grip on Timothy.

Once he was able to move again, Timothy knew that he could trust Shadow and his lips curled into a grateful smile. " **Okay,** " he finally said.

"Okay, then!" Shadow did a clap and turned back to Gaia and Donnie. "Let's go find that bomb! You know where it is, right, Gaia?"

Gaia bit her lower lip with a grim look on her face and nodded her head. "Yes." She slowly lifted her finger and pointed directly at Timothy, who tilted his eyeballs in confusion.

The room was completely silent for a few seconds.

Donnie looked at his girlfriend confused. "Uh, Gaia?"

"I heard him talking to Subprime," she said nervously. "The Mutagen Bomb is actually much smaller than you think, and it's inside Timothy's exosuit."

The Turtle's jaw about dropped to the floor. "What?" he gasped in horror.

"Say _what_?!" Shadow shouted and turned to Timothy. "Timothy, is that true?! Please tell me that isn't true!"

Timothy had a genuinely confused look in his eyes. " **I...didn't know...Shredder said...made modifications to suit.** "

Donnie rubbed his hand over his face. "Oh, we're in deep trouble now," he moaned.

* * *

"Think they'll ever figure it out?" Subprime asked Ch'rell as they looked out the window of their ship. They were now hovering in space and above the Earth, anxiously waiting for the wave of mutagen to spread across the planet and wipe out all humans.

The Shredder Utrom smiled sadistically from inside his exosuit. "I highly doubt it. They believe they are looking for a massive explosive device, but what they don't know is that their doom actually comes in a much smaller package. Besides, I did promise Tinothy all the mutagen he wanted," he jokingly added.

Subprime giggled like a madman. "You're a genuis, Ch'rell! Say, after the humans are destroyed and all, what happens to me?"

Ch'rell turned to his partner. "You?"

"Yeah, I mean, after all of this is over, I'm free to go, right?"

"Oh, right. You've served your purpose, so what should I do with you now?" Ch'rell slowly approached Subprime, who nervously backed away.

"Ch'rell...?" Subprime squeaked as he continued to step away from the advancing madman. "Wh-what are you-?" He squawked when Ch'rell suddenly grabbed by the head and ripped him out of his Irmabot. "What are you doing?!" he screamed as he frantically wiggled his tentacles.

"I've no use of you anymore," Ch'rell coldly stated before dropping Subprime.

Before the other Utrom could escape, a metallic foot stomped on him and he whimpered as he lifted his eyes to the one who betrayed him. "Why?" he begged weakly. "I-I did everything you asked."

"And?" Ch'rell said nonchalantly.

"I don't deserve this...!"

"Don't you? You're an embarassment to our kind, Knight." Ch'rell then lifted his foot for a few seconds before he swiftly brought it down with full force. Subprime had been completely crushed and his blood and guts came flying out, splattering all over the floor. "You always were."

He kicked the blood off his foot like a person would with dog droppings and walked toward the window once again with his hands behind his back. But unbeknownst to him, as he stood there and waited for the destruction of humanity, Bishop, Raph, and Leo were approaching his ship on the scooter, which thankfully had a force field which provided them oxygen as well as protected them from the pull of microgravity.

* * *

When she realized that Leo had gone missing, Karai immediately began searching for him and ran up the stairs. Raph trusted her to keep an eye on the vigilante and stop him from slaying anyone, and as she continued to race upstairs, she silently prayed to herself that she wasn't too late. She stopped on the floor where there was smoke arising from under the door and kicked it open.

She gasped when she saw the body of a huge mutant mole lying in a crimson pool. He didn't move as she slowly and carefully walked toward him, but the moment she tapped his arm, his white blind eyes opened up, startling her.

"K...Ka...rai," he managed to rasp.

The kunoichi raised a confused eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

"I am...Tatsu."

Her brown eyes widened. "Tatsu-san?" She gently touched his furry black face. "What happened to you?"

"Shredder...mutated me. He promised me...survival...after the bomb destroys...humanity."

All pity and sympathy that she felt for him instantly disappeared and she glared at him angrily. "How could you help him do this? You betrayed your own kind."

Tatsu shut his eyes tight as he slowly lifted himself up from the pool of his own blood. With a hiss of pain, he turned his head to look at his former student. "Saki was my master. After the Serpent killed him...I had no purpose...I was a sword without...a warrior. Ch'rell was a strong leader...a warrior...he recognized my strength and abilities...looked past my flaws."

"So you agreed to help him destroy the world?" Karai growled. "You have no honor, Tastu. And you're right: you were always just a sword, a tool. Oroku Saki used you for his evil purposes, and so has Ch'rell. You can't think for yourself."

Tatsu's bloody lips curled into a snarl and he narrowed his eyes into angry slits. "I have...no honor? You betrayed your father...you left your clan...for a rodent and his reptiles. At least I...remained loyal...to the Foot Clan...to the very end."

With the last bit of strength that he had left, he lifted his right arm and extended his claws. "At least...I can take my honor...with me...to my grave."

Karai instantly realized what Tatsu was intending to do and quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. "Tatsu, NO!"

But the mutant mole was much stronger than her and he stabbed himself with his own claws. He grunted and groaned as he drove them deeper into his chest, and he collasped into the crimson pool, which was now becoming bigger as even more blood came pouring out. Karai could only sit by and watch as the life slowly drained out of him, but she stayed with him until it was finally over, stroking his fur.

Although he was a traitor and a coward, he was still her old teacher.

* * *

"Victory belongs to the Fox Clan!" Alopex announced to her soldiers, who stood over the defeated and wounded Foot ninjas. Most of the enemy had been bound together in groups of two to three, while the others were being held by Fox ninjas.

One lone Foot soldier, however, had escaped and hid in the shadows while the Fox Clan celebrated their victory. Peeking from behind a flipped over desk, he turned on one of the Utrom guns that the Shredder had provided for his army and aimed it at the Fox leader's head. He lifted a trembling figure and prepared to press the button to fire.

But then a Morning Star weapon knocked the gun out of his hands and he looked up only to scream when he saw a giant mutant turtle standing over him with an angry glare. Before he could make a run for it, Slash grabbed him by the back of his shirt and lifted him off the floor.

Alopex heard the commotion and turned her head to see Slash stomping toward her with the Foot kid in his grasp. "We did not give you the signal to move in," she curtly said.

Slash shrugged with a grin. "I just got a feeling, and it looks like I was right to listen to my gut instincts." The grin disappeared as he confronted the troubled teenagers. "You kids should all go home. This isn't where you belong."

"This _is_ our home, mutant!" the Foot ninja in his hand yelled.

"Yeah," another kid agreed with a nod. "We're loyal to the Shredder. He's like a father to us."

Slash gave him a skeptical look. "Oh, yeah? Well, if he cares so much about you, then why hasn't he been fighting alongside you? You risk your lives to protect his empire while he runs off to save his own hide."

There was a pause before another Foot ninja spoke up. "We're a family."

At this, Slash raised an eye ridge and scoffed. But he kinda understood where they were coming from. For years, he thought that Snapper was his best friend and brother, but thanks to Raph and Shadow, he finally realized that the snapping turtle was just using him for his own survival. "Family? This isn't a family. This is an army. Hate to break it to ya, but the Shredder is just using you bozos. You're all expendable to him."

"He's right." Just then a Foot soldier stepped out from behind Slash and removed his mask, revealing himself to be Danny.

"Danny?!" the ninja in Slash's grasp shouted in surprise. "You've been working for _them_ all this time?!"

Danny look up at him and shook his head. "The Shredder doesn't care about us. He left us to die with everyone else on Earth." He turned to the rest of his former comrades. "He's planning to destroy the world with this bomb. Not a single human will survive or at least be the same ever again."

Immediately the entire group began to chatter frantically. "What?!" "Are you serious, man?!" "A bomb?! Where?!" "But he wouldn't do that to us! "This has got to be a trick or something!"

"He's telling the truth, kids," Slash calmly told them but his expression was grim. "And you'd better pray that Raph and the others find this bomb and shut it down in time."

* * *

Ch'rell pulled up the ticking clock on a computer screen and impatiently tapped his fingers on the keypad. Less than twenty minutes before detonation.

Waiting was always the hardest part; everything else after the detonation would be so easy. The dazed and confused mutants would turn to him for answers and hope, and if he proclaimed himself to be a god, they would believe him. Hopefully this planet would be a success after centuries of failure, and he would create the first perfect society, a world without chaos and wars, just like he had envisioned.

Just then the doors slid open behind him and he heard someone walk into cockpit. He quickly turned and was surprised to see Bishop, Leo, and Raph standing there. The Utrom pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ch'rell.

"How did you...?" Ch'rell gasped.

"Ch'rell, in the name of the Utrom Empire, you are under arrest," Bishop declared.

"If I were you, I'd surrender," Raph threatened and pulled out his sai.

"Or you'll have to face all three of us," Leo hissed and unsheathed his katanas.

But Ch'rell chortled wickedly, not the least intimidated. "Oh, is that right?" He extended his blades and showed them off to his former comrade. "I'm not the same as when we last met, Bishop. I've become more powerful than you can imagine. You and the council need your guns to defend yourselves. But I can take down entire armies with just this exosuit that I designed."

"Precisely," Leo said with a bitter smirk. "You're only so powerful because of that trash can. But without it, you're just a disgusting, helpless freak of nature." He noticed Bishop's offended glance and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Leo's right," Raph said as he glared at the alien. "You're just a coward, just like every other enemy that we had to face in the past. You're no different."

The Shredder's red glowing eyes became angry slits. "You're wrong, Ninja Turtle," he growled. "I'm your most powerful opponent yet...and you last." Then with the speed of lightning he charged at the one-eyed Turtle with his blades.

Before Raph could even raise his sai to defend himself, his much quicker brother shielded him and blocked the attack with his swords. Raph quickly took the opportunity to leap at the Shredder and kick him in the face. The helmet clanged when the three-toed foot collided with it, but it wasn't enough to even budge the Utrom's metallic body. Ch'rell responded by grabbing the Turtle by the ankle and tossing him across the room.

An enraged Leo attempted to plunge both of his swords right through the Shredder's body, but the latter caught them with his blades and was able to hold the Serpent back. No matter how hard Leo pushed, Ch'rell didn't even move an inch. This only made Leo even madder and he roared as he kicked continuously but effortlessly at the Shredder's abdomen, where the real body was located.

Ch'rell laughed at the Serpent's futile attempts. "You must be getting desperate, Serpent." With his surperior strength, he tossed the swords away, surprising Leo and causing him to stumble backwards. Ch'rell was about to attack when laser blasts began to hit his suit from behind.

Bishop fired his gun at him without mercy, but the laser blasts did not even put a dent in the other Utrom's impenetrable armor. So an annoyed Ch'rell turned on him and slashed the gun right in half then sliced his entire right arm off within a matter of seconds. Bishop briefly glanced at the limp arm on the ground before he did a spinning heel kick, and this time he managed to knock the head clean off the robot's shoulders.

Of course, Ch'rell's exosuit remained standing and he growled from inside. "You'll pay for that, Bish-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Raph stabbed his sai deep into the robot's back with all his strength. The exosuit began to short circuit as sparks flew everywhere. "Wh-What's happening?!" Ch'rell screamed in horror.

Finally, Leo used his swords to slice the abdomen open and reveal the now vulnerable Ch'rell. The Utrom blinked before he leapt out of the now smoking robot, crawling across the floor like a spider. But the Serpent was much quicker and stepped on him. Ch'rell squeaked and looked up at the Turtle with frightened green eyes.

Leo glared down at him with cold white eyes and slowly raised a sword.

"Leo!" Raph barked, causing his brother to freeze. "Remember our deal?"

"I don't recall making any deal with you," Leo cooly said without looking at him.

Raph's angry expression slowly softened into a pleading one. "Leo, come on. Don't do it. You've killed enough people over the years."

Leo opened his mouth to argue, but then Ch'rell started to cackle under his foot, surprising everyone. "Don't you get it, Ninja Turtle?" the Utrom sneered at him. "There will never be 'enough people' for him to kill." He cast his eyes directly up at Leo. "He's just like me."

At this statement, Leo tensed up and became greatly disturbed.

"He claims that he kills criminals and murderers so that he could protect the city," Ch'rell continued. "But that's just a facade to hide his inner desire to kill. He wears the mask of a hero, but he's really a bloodthirsty monster."

Leo shuddered and shook his head, but deep down, he knew that Ch'rell was right.

"I, myself, have believed for years that I was trying to build a better world, that the ends justified the means. But in my heart, I knew that that was merely an excuse to commit genocides across the universe, because there could never truly be a perfect society. I just loved seeing people groveling at my feet, then squashing them like bugs. I loved the feeling of being in control, to be in a position where I get to decide who lives and who dies. That's what it's all about, isn't it, Serpent? Power. You and I are the same."

Raph glanced over at his brother, who was visibly shaken and had even started to sweat. He slowly approached Leo and gently placed his hand on his shoulder. Leo twitched and looked at him with trembling blue eyes.

"Leo," Raph spoke softly to him, "you wanna prove him wrong? Then let him live."

Leo's eyes became sad and he shook his head. "No, Raph. He's right; we're the same. For years, I've used Mikey's death as an excuse to kill. But..." Tears were now starting to form. "I'm just a sick individual who doesn't deserve to live. I've failed him. I've _failed_ him, Raph. You've been speaking to him lately, right?" He closed his eyes and released a shaky sigh, the tears now rolling down his cheeks. "Is he...sad because of me? Did I break his heart?"

Suddenly, Leo felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around him and he found himself in Raph's embrace. He unconsciously lifted his foot and Ch'rell took the opporunity to scurry away, but fortunately Bishop caught him and lifted him by the tentacles.

"We _all_ broke his heart, Leo," Raph said in a somber, quiet voice. "We were supposed to stay together, but we went our separate ways. We destroyed ourselves and forgot who we were. But it's not too late, brother. We can still be a family, even after everything that's happened." Raph buried his face in Leo's shoulder. "The rest of the world may hate you, but not your brothers. We don't care what you've done. We just want you back home. We love you...so much. Please..."

Leo couldn't believe how forgiving his brothers were. They were willing to accept him back into the family, even after he abandoned them and murdered hundreds, maybe even thousands of people over the last thirty years. They would give him the chance to start over, when the city wanted to punish him for his sins.

His brothers truly did love him.

After a brief moment of silence, he bit his lower lip and finally dropped his swords, the clang of them hitting the floor echoing in the ship. His shoulders shook as he returned the hug. "O-Okay," he choked.

Raph smiled so big it actually hurt. He got his big brother back.

 _I did it, Mikey._

"Turtles, forgive me for interrupting..."

The brothers pulled away from each other and turned to Bishop, who still had Ch'rell in his grasp. "...but we still have an apocalypse to stop."

* * *

"Sh**...!" Donnie cursed under breath as he carefully disassembled Timothy's exosuit with Dr. Rockwell helping him. His fingers couldn't stop trembling, and it didn't help to know that one screw up could ultimately cause the deaths of billions..and that he only had one hand to work with. At least they were able to remove the tank that contained Timothy's organs without breaking it and hurting him.

Everyone had evacuated the building and stood outside at the front entrance. The Fox Clan and the Mutanimals kept watch of the Foot ninjas

A warm, gentle hand touched Donnie's shoulder and he immediately his nerves were put at ease. He sighed softly and smiled a little. Thank God for Gaia and her calming abilities. "Thanks, hon."

Gaia tenderly kissed him on the cheek. "You can do it, Donnie. I believe in you."

With his confidence restored, the genius cyborg went back to work, and three minutes later he and Rockwell sucessfully removed the explosive device from the exosuit. It was a small sphere the shape of a baseball with glowing purple hexagon designs and blinking green lights. Very slowly and with caution, the two scientists placed it on the floor.

"Wow, I can't believe it's that small," Mondo Gecko said in awe.

"It's so shiny," Pete cooed, taking a step forward. "And blinky."

Slash blocked the curious pigeon's path with his large hand. "Don't touch it, Pete," he scolded.

"So how do we turn it off?" Ninjara asked. "You both are geniuses, right?"

Shadow nudged the Fox ninja in the arm with a scowl. "Hey, don't pressure them."

Ninjara rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure. No pressure. It's not like our lives depend on it or something."

"That's a good question," Donnie sighed, rubbing his forehead in stress. "This is Utrom technology, which is extremely difficult to decipher."

"And on top of that," Rockwell nervously added, "we only have so long to disarm it."

"Yes. Eight minutes to be exact."

Everyone turned their heads toward the sound of Bishop's voice. The one-armed Utrom walked toward the group with Raph and Leo behind him and a struggling Ch'rell in his grasp.

"Uncle Raph!" Shadow shouted happily as she ran to the one-eyed Turtle and grabbed him in a tight hug. Raph smirked and fondly ruffled the girl's short blond hair.

Karai noticed the cursing Ch'rell in Bishop's hand and flashed Leo a grateful smile. She was extremely relieved that her old friend did not kill the alien and decided to spare his life, even though he didn't deserve mercy.

"Bishop, thank God!" Donnie exclaimed. "You can disarm the bomb, right? Please tell me that you can."

Bishop hummed with uncertainty and shook his head. "I wasn't involved in the design of this bomb." He lifted Ch'rell for them to see. "But our friend Ch'rell might know a thing or too. Well, _brother_?"

Ch'rell angrily narrowed his eyes at Bishop then grinned wickedly. "I'm not the one who created it, and unfortunately for you, the one who did is dead. I saw to that." He laughed at the horrifed looks on everyone's faces. "So it looks like you're all doomed, doesn't it?"

"Why, that little pink piece of...!" Slash growled deep in his throat, ready to grab the Utrom and tear him apart.

"So...that's it?" Shadow gulped and tightened her grip on Raph's arm in fear. "We can't turn it off?"

"No, but maybe..." Donnie rubbed his chin in deep thought, "maybe we could send it to another dimension that's devoid of all life. That way-"

"No," Bishop said sternly. "That's too risky. We would need to be absolutely sure that we don't expose anyone or anything to the mutagen."

"I got it!" Pete raised his hand. "Why don't we throw it into outer space?"

Everyone stared at the mutant pigeon, who just blinked and grinned stupidly.

"Uh, Pete..." Slash scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Wait," Bishop said. "He may be right."

Donnie looked at him bewildered. "Excuse me?"

"Of course, we can't just carelessly throw it into space and endanger the entire solar system," Bishop explained. "We'll have to be outside the Milky Way galaxy. Out there, the explosion wouldn't reach any planet or living thing."

"But that's about 25,000 light years away," Dr. Rockwell pointed out. "We would never make it in time."

"With Ch'rell's ship, I will," Bishop confirmed. Then without saying another word, he sprinted over to Slash and handed him Ch'rell, confusing the giant turtle and everyone else. He picked up the small bomb and placed it in his pocket as he ran down the street.

"Bishop!"

"Bishop, _wait_!"

Raph and Donnie followed him to the ship that was a block away, but before they could stop him, he dashed into the vehichle and the door slammed shut behind him.

"Bishop!" Raph began to pound on the doors with his fists. "Bishop, open up!" he yelled. But the ship began to hum and he stepped back just as it began to rise. The next thing he knew, it disappeared into the night sky with a tremendous boom and at the speed of light.

Just like that, he was gone, and he saved billions of lives by sacrificing his own.

Donnie stood next to him and stared up at the sky in dread. "Bishop," he whispered, then he turned to his brother. "Do you think...he will..?"

The Ninja Turtle said nothing and kept looking up at the stars with a sad emerald eye. Although he knew it was very unlikely, Raph hoped that Bishop would escape the explosion in time and make it back to Earth.

...

Meanwhile, back at TCRI, everyone stared up at the dark sky after they heard a loud, echoing boom.

"Was that Bishop?" Shadow asked in a quiet, fearful voice.

"So he really did...?" Mondo gulped and made the sign of the cross. "Poor guy."

Leo only closed his eyes in a silent prayer for the fallen Utrom. Bishop truly was an honorable soldier, and a good friend.

"He could make it!" Shadow said, but it was with uncertainty. "I mean, it's a possibility...right?" No one else said a word, and she sighed sadly and softly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So..." Slash brought Ch'rell closer to his face, his hot breath making the Utrom grimace. "...what should we do with him?"

With a sneer and a cold stare, Alopex pulled out the Kusarigama and stepped forward. "I say we just execute him and get it over with." Several Fox ninja murmured in agreement with her.

Leo glanced at her, and after a brief pause, he shook his head. "Be my guest. I'm done with that."

"No," Shadow walked over to Slash and Ch'rell and stood in front of them. "Nobody's killing anyone."

"Oh, yeah?" Ninjara crossed her arms and smirked. "And who's gonna stop us, rookie? You?"

The teen glared at the cocky Fox spy. "I will if you force me to."

Behind her, Ch'rell began to laugh again. "None of you will kill me, but you won't take me alive either."

Shadow eyes widened when she realized what Ch'rell was intending to do. The second he began to gurgle, she whipped around and, without even thinking, used her telekinetic powers to rip his entire tongue out of his mouth and put it on her hand.

It all happened in a split second, and everyone stared at her with their jaws dropped. Ninjara began to slowly back away from the teenager, remembering the warning from Raph that she should've heeded. Even Shadow amazed herself and couldn't believe what she had just done. Ch'rell moaned and moved his jaw up and down, but he couldn't form any words, and he never would again from that moment on.

When she realized that she was holding an actual alien tongue, which was still wiggling, she dropped it in disgust. Lying next to the tongue and her foot was a small red pill and she picked it up.

"Good Lord," Rockwell gasped. "That's a cyanide pill."

"The coward was gonna kill himself," Slash grumbled as he glared at the Utrom in his hand. "But...how'd you know, kid?"

"Um, well..." Shadow was about to explain when she heard Raph and Donnie approaching the group. They both wore somber faces as they were obviously mourning their brave friend who had just saved the planet.

Raph looked up at his neice and smiled sadly. "Bishop saved us all."

Shadow slowly nodded with her eyes down.

Donnie noticed Ch'rell opening and closing his mouth, but there was no tongue inside. "Wait...what happened to Ch'rell?"

Slash smirked as he patted Shadow on the back with his other hand. "Shadow ripped his tongue right outta his mouth with her powers."

Raph blinked and looked at her niece with a surprised and proud smirk. "Really? Dang, kid. I think you're starting to get the hang of it."

Gaia smiled and nodded with a proud heart. "You're certainly learning."

Shadow shrugged. "Actually, it was an accident." She then turned to the Foot ninjas. "So, uh, now that we've beaten the Shredder, what happens to these guys?"

"I have a solution," Karai spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "I'll take his place as the leader of the Foot Clan."

"What?" Raph looked at his sister surprised. "Karai, are you sure? I mean, you wanted to get away from that life and start over."

She smiled at the Turtle and nodded. "I know, Raph, but if I don't take over, someone as sinister and twisted as Ch'rell might. I'll teach them the honorable ways of the ninja and instruct them to use their abilities for good instead of evil. It's their choice whether to stay, of course."

Danny stepped forward and bowed to the kunoichi. "Ma'am, I don't know about the others, but I'd be honored to be your student."

Shadow couldn't help but grin. Danny really was a good guy, better than his Foot comrades, anyway.

"And what about Ch'rell?" Raph asked.

Said Utrom could only look at everyone with frightened green eyes.

"I'll take care of him," Donnie offered. "I'll contact the Utrom Council and have them come pick him up. I'm sure they'll think of an appropriate punishment for him."

"Raphael!" Alopex walked up to Raph with her Kusarigama still in her hands. "My army has defeated the enemy. Now you must-"

"I know," Raph abruptly cut her off, then sighed heavily as he hung his head. "Let's get this over with."

Leo raised a confused eye ridge. "Get what over with?" He turned to Donnie, but the moment they locked eyes, his brother turned his head, refusing to look at him for some reason. Now he was starting to get nervous. "What?" he snapped. "Someone tell m-"

All of a sudden, a flash of orange zipped past him and he screamed and dropped to his knees as he started to feel unspeakable pain. He clutched his now bleeding hand and was horrified to see that his left thumb was missing. Everyone around him gasped and some even began to retch at the gory sight. He started to hyperventilate when he felt someone hug him from behind.

"Shhhh, I know," Raph whispered to him, and it sounded like he was also sobbing. "I know. I'm sorry. It'll be okay, Leo."

Alopex unclenched her fist and in the palm of her paw was Leo's thumb. She then glanced back at the Serpent with icy eyes. "You should thank your brother, Leonardo. I wanted to take your entire arm, but he convinced me to take your thumb instead. You are very fortunately to have a family that loves you so much." She gave the slightest of nods to her soldiers and dashed down the street with them following close behind.

Ninjara stopped for a brief moment to look back at Raph and blew him a kiss. "Call me," she said with a wink before she continued on her way and disappeared with the others.

Donnie rushed over to his kneeling brothers and soothingly rubbed Leo's arm. "Leo, listen, I can replace your thumb with a prosthetic one. That way you can still use your swords and-"

"No!" Leo yelled, making his brother jump, then he spoke in a softer but still pained tone. "No, Donnie. You don't need to do that. I deserve much worse than this."

"Oh, bro," Raph whispered with a heavy heart as he affectionately rested his cheek on the dome of Leo's head.

Sniffling and wiping a tear from his eye, Donnie wrapped his arm around Raph's neck and joined in on the hug.

Shadow's face blanched as she watched the blood continue to pour out from Leo's hand and forced herself to look away. But nonetheless she was happy to see the three brothers together again and closer than ever.

 **WOW! The longest chapter yet! And guess what? There's still more on the way!**

 **So sorry I took so long!**


	52. New Beginnings

**NOTE:** **There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later**

 ** _Four days later..._**

 _Ding Dong_

"Just a minute!" Gaia called out as she ran out of the steaming bathroom and put on a fuzzy white robe. Celeste awoke from her nap on the couch and mewed curiously as her wet master hurried to the door and looked through the peephole.

To the human's delight, a certain cyborg Turtle was standing at her door with a bouquet of cheery blossoms and lilies. With a big smile, she grabbed the knob and slowly opened the door. "Hi, honey," she said with lust in her eyes as she purposely opened her robe a bit to reveal a little more of her chest. She then twirled a strand of her wet hair with her finger. "Just got out of the shower."

A blushing Donnie smiled shyly at her and opened his mouth to speak, but then a pair of soft lips locked against his in a passion kiss and he felt her wrap her arms around his neck. He moaned in her mouth and was about to return the embrace when he suddenly remembered that they were still in the hallway of her apartment and the other tenants could be watching. He gently and reluctantly pushed her off and broke their kiss. "Um, let's step inside where it's more private, shall we?" he whispered with an apologetic grin.

She giggled and nodded. "Sure." She took the bouquet and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for the flowers."

The moment Donnie walked into the living room, Celeste jumped off the couch and sprinted to him, affectionately rubbing against his leg and purring. "Hey, Celeste," he chuckled as he picked her up and stroked her back. "Missed me?"

"You know, it's funny," Gaia scratched her cat's chin with an amused smile. "She used to hate your guts and couldn't stand to be near you. Now she can't get enough of you."

Donnie shrugged. "Well, if people can change, then cats can change, too, I guess."

"That reminds me, how's Leo?"

The grin on Donnie's face dropped at the mention of his brother's name and he gently put Celeste back down. "He's doing fine. But he still won't let me fix his hand. Without a thumb, he'll never fight with his swords again. I mean, he could try but it would be extremely difficult."

"At least he's still alive," Gaia softly said as she rubbed the back of his neck. "And you three get to start over and be a family again."

He smiled a little and nodded. "That's true." He watched fondly as she walked into the kitchen and poured some water into a vase for her flowers. "But you know, I still feel like our family is incomplete."

Gaia nodded with a sad smile as she set the vase down on the counter. "Of course without Mikey, it will always feel like that."

"I'm not talking about Mikey," Donnie said, catching her by surprise. "Mikey will always be with us. What I'm hinting at is...well, look in the bouquet."

Confused, Gaia complied and carefully look through the flowers, then she nearly dropped them in shock when she saw the now repaired Rolex watch that she bought for him. With trembling hands, she pulled it out and turned to Donnie with wide amber eyes. "Donnie," she whispered, "how...?"

He smiled lovingly at her as he walked into the kitchen and took the watch from her. "I found it the night we rescued you. While I was fixing it, I saw the inscription on the back." He flipped it over and pointed to the engraved words, _Donatello, Love Of My Life, Will You Marry Me?_

Her cheeks blushed from embarassment. It was supposed to be a surprise, but then the Shredder kidnapped her and ruined everything.

"I made the mistake of leaving you, Gaia," he carassed her cheek with his normal hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I won't make the same mistake ever again for the rest of my life." He then took her hand and slipped something over her finger.

Gaia looked down and clasped a hand over her mouth to supress a sob, but the tears came spilling down her cheeks freely. On her finger was a ring with a beautiful Scolecite stone.

Donnie put the Rolex watch on his robotic wrist before gently grabbing her face and kissing her. As he pulled away, he whispered, "Gaia Anastasia Mako, I will marry you."

She could no longer control herself and pressed her lips against his in another passionate kiss, only this time, the overwhelming joy in her heart turned into warm energy that flowed out of her body and into his like a stream. Donnie smiled to himself as he felt their souls literally becoming one.

* * *

 ** _Four months later..._**

"God, I hate this," Shadow nervously bit her fingernails as she fidgeted around in her chair.

Everyone else in the waiting room- Raph, Donnie, Gaia, Kirby, and Casey's sister Sarah- were just as tense as she was. The two Turtle brothers wore trench coats, sunglasses, and fedora hats as disguises, and Raph lowered his glasses to look at Shadow, who sat across from him.

"Deep breaths, kid," he said softly. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah, your Mom is tough," Kirby reached over and patted his granddaughter on the back. "These things take time."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Shadow's voice cracked slightly. "I mean, the Shredder experimented on her and..." She sighed and cradled her head in her hands. "Look, I don't mean to be a nervous wreck. It's just-"

"We understand," Donnie told her. "You've been through a lot. We all have. But Mr. O'Neil is right, your Mom is strong. One of the strongest people I've ever met."

"If Shadow is nervous, I can't imagine how Casey must be feeling," Sarah commented. "Poor guy."

All of a sudden, something began to squirm around under Raph's coat, and a squeaking sound made everyone else in the room turn their heads and stare at him.

Raph grinned sheepishly and stood up. "Excuse me." He hurried down the hall and shut himself in the men's bathroom. Once the coast was clear, he reached into his coat and pulled out a baby mutant Turtle, holding him in his palm. The infant blinked his tiny black eyes a few times and squeaked again.

"Sandro Hamato," Raph chuckled as he shook his head, "you need to learn to be more quiet if you're gonna be a ninja like Daddy someday."

Sandro, or Sandy as he is affectionately called most of the time, grabbed his father's thumb with his tiny hands and began to suck on it.

"Okay, I know what you need." Raph reached into his pocket and pulled out a pacifier, which Sandy gladly accepted. The proud dad smiled warmly as he stroked his son's head.

Three months ago, Mona Lisa surprised Raphael with four eggs in their bed, and six weeks later, two Turtles and two Salamandrians, all boys, hatched under a heater that Donnie had specifically built for them. The two Turtles were named Sandy and Giotto (or Gio) and the two Salamandrians were named David and Angel. Sandy was the smallest of the brothers, but he had so much spunk and courage, and he even had a birthmark on his plastron that was shaped like a lightning bolt. Gio had blue spots on his body that he inherited from his mother and he couldn't stand to be away from her for more than five minutes or else he would start crying. Angel was very quiet and mild-tempered, and he was the splitting image of his mother. David was a little fireball of energy and his scales were a blue-greenish color and his eyes were emerald like his father's.

The night they hatched was the greatest and happiest moment of Raph's life, and he wanted to spend every moment with them. For the first few nights, he stayed awake to watch them sleep until dawn, and Mona finally convinced him to get some sleep, himself, since they would all still be there after he woke up.

Sandy continued to suck on his pacifier until he eventually fell asleep in his father's hand. Raph sighed happily as he held his son close to his plastron. "I really do love you, kid," he whispered.

Meanwhile, back in the waiting room, Donnie groaned and shook his head. "Seriously, why couldn't he just leave that baby back home?"

"Because he's crazy about his kids, you know that," Gaia giggled and hugged her fiancé's arm. "He can't stand to be apart from them, so Mona allowed him to bring one instead of all four."

Just then the doctor appeared and Shadow immedately stood up from her chair and braced herself for bad news, biting her lower lip and clutching her chest.

"Shadow Jones?" the doctor called out.

The teen gulped and stepped forward. "Y-Yeah?"

He smiled at her. "Congratulations. You are officially a big sister."

She instantly sighed in relief as the others clapped in congratulation and joy.

"The delivery was a success," the doctor continued. "No complications at all. Your mother is very tired, but she'll be all right. Are you ready to meet your brother?"

Shadow nodded eagerly and followed him down the hall. She could barely contain her excitement as he led her to the nursery. They stopped in front of a large window and he pointed to a baby with a bit of red hair on his head and slightly pink cheeks in the second row of bassinets. "That's him right there." He gestured for the nurse behind the glass to bring the newborn and show him to his sister.

Tears filled Shadow's eyes as the nurse came forward with the baby, and when her brother opened his eyes and revealed their beautiful blue color, she let out a gleeful squeal despite herself. He was so precious! She couldn't wait to hold him.

"Shadow Jones, meet Mikey Jones," the doctor announced as he patted her on the back.

She pressed her hand against the glass and smiled at the baby who stared curiously at her. "Hi, Mikey. I'm your big sis."

As if in response, the corners of Mikey's mouth lifted into a smile. At that moment, she knew that she would do anything to protect him.

...

When she stepped into the recovery room, the first thing she saw was her mother lying in bed with her eyes closed. Her hair, which had grown back, was wet with sweat and the bangs clung to her forehead. There were bags under her eyes and she looked extremely tired just as the doctor said.

Casey sat next to the bed and held her hand, and when he heard his daughter walk in, he turned around in his chair and smiled at her. "Hey, kiddo," he whispered. "Did you see your brother?"

Shadow nodded with a smile. "He's amazing," she whispered back.

Suddenly, April fluttered her eyes open and grinned. "He is," she said weakly. "Our little Mikey is amazing." She then slowly lifted her hand and gestured for Shadow to come, which she did. The teen stood next at the other side of the bed and took her mother's hand. "But you know," April gently rubbed her thumb over Shadow's, "you're just as special and precious to us as you were the day we found you. And having a baby hasn't changed that."

Casey nodded in agreement. "Your mother's right."

"I know, guys," Shadow chuckled and patted her mother's hand. "You don't need to worry about that. Oh, and Mom, I want to show you a new trick that Gaia taught me."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, squeezing April's hand slightly. April looked up at her slightly confused, then her eyes widened as she felt warm energy suddenly flow into her hand and throughout her entire body and her strength was quickly coming back. This lasted for no more than ten seconds, and it stopped the second Shadow let go of her mom's hand.

She opened her eyes again and grinned. "Feeling better now?"

April slowly sat up and looked at both Shadow and Casey bewildered. "Y...Yeah. I feel great." She then laughed as she reached over to touch Shadow's cheek. "You're getting better every day."

* * *

 ** _A month later..._**

It was a perfect day to have a wedding at the O'Neil farmhouse. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the temperature wasn't too hot nor too cold. Just about everyone was there to celebrate the union between Donatello and Gaia, family and friends, humans and mutants. Tables had been set up on the front lawn for the reception dinner, and Ronny had set up a buffet table and cooked the dishes himself.

Mona sat under a tree with her four baby boys and Chompy. The huge space turtle wagged his tail happily as he continued to lick David's face, causing the infant to squeal in amusement. Gio and Angel slept soundly in their mother's lap, and Mona smiled as she stroked their little heads.

"Hey, ya little rugrats!" Slash laughed as he approached his little nephews. "Who wants to ride the airplane?" When Sandy squeaked and raised his arms, Slash picked him up and lifted him high above his head as he made airplane sounds and ran across the field.

April, Karai, and Casey laughed as they watched Slash play with Sandy. They sat together at a small round table and little Mikey slept in a baby carriage, a pacifier in his mouth.

"I can't get over how adorable little Mikey is," Karai said as she stared at the baby's cute sleeping face.

"Yeah, he's a sweet little cherub," Casey chuckled. "When he's being quiet."

"Casey..." April elbowed her husband but was giggling.

Just then Shadow walked up to their table, wearing the blue wrap dress with the pink waist ribbon that she had originally bought for her Broadway date with Danny. "How do I, uh, look?" she asked them with a shy smile. She wasn't used to wearing dresses, but she had to look her best as the Maid of Honor.

"You look beautiful, honey," April said with a proud smile.

At the buffet table, Danny, who had volunteered to help Ronny with the dinner, glanced back at Shadow, who was showing off her pretty new dress to her parents, and his cheeks began to blush.

Ronny noticed this and began to chuckle. "You still like her, don't you?" he asked with a smirk.

Danny looked at him and nodded with a small, sad smile. "Yeah, but I pretty much blew all my chances with her."

The cook raised a surprised eyebrow. "Oh? Was it really that bad? I heard you broke up with her."

Danny lowered his glance and nodded. "I lied to her about who I was. I thought that by breaking up with her, I was protecting her. But things just got worse."

Ronny grunted understandingly. "We all have done things we're not proud of. But Shadow's a very forgiving person, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I'm surprised she still considers me a friend, or even talks to me."

"Well, you've proven yourself to be a good guy after you helped her and the others save the world. Who knows? She just might give you one more chance, and when she does, you'd better not screw it up, kid." He then handed the teen a basket of freshly baked rolls. "Now set one on each small plate, will ya?"

An old, rusty R.V suddenly drove up to the front yard, squeaking as it bounced up and down on the dirt road, and once it had been parked, Mondo peeked his head out through the driver's window. "Hey! Did we miss the wedding?"

"Nope," Shadow said as she walked up to the vehicle. "We would never start without the guest of honor."

The entry door opened and Pete hopped out in excitement. "Hi, everybody! Merry Christmas!"

Shadow held back her giggles and patted the pigeon on the head. "Hi, Pete."

"Pete, I need your assistance!" Dr. Rockwell called out from inside the R.V.

"Yes, sir!" Pete cried and jumped back into the vehicle, and less than a minute later, he reappeared, but this time he was slowly going down the steps backwards and holding a man's hand.

That man was none other than Timothy, now back in his original human form, although there were a few changes. His lost right eye had been replaced with a glass one, which looked larger than his organic left eye, and he was completely bald, never to grow hair again, not even eyebrows. But aside from those notable changes, he looked normal overall. He even wore a tuxedo with a red rose pinned to the lapel for the wedding.

Since his legs were still very weak, he needed help to walk, and Dr. Rockwell held one hand while Pete held the other as he slowly wobbled down the steps. He face lit up the moment he saw Shadow and he grinned from ear to ear. "Shadow!" he cried out in a raspy voice.

Shadow smiled back and hugged his neck. "Hi, Timothy! You look fantastic!" She took his arm and nodded to the two mutants. "I can take it from here, guys." She slowly guided the guest of honor to the table that was reserved for him and everyone else clapped and cheered once he reached the chair.

Slash walked up to Rockwell, still carrying Sandy in his hands. "You did an awesome job, Doc," he said with a smile.

Rockwell chuckled softly and shook his head. "I can't take all of the credit. Donatello wouldn't even sleep until we had finally found the solution. In all my life, I have never seen a person work so vigorously."

...

In the old barn, the groom was getting ready for the big moment, nervously pacing back and forth and fumbling with his cufflinks. He was dressed in a purple tuxedo, a black tie, and an orange rose on his lapel. "You can do this, you can do this, you can do this..." he chanted quietly to himself over and over again.

Raph sat on a hay stack and chuckled as he watched his brother. "You're gonna make yourself sick, bro. Chill."

"Easy for _you_ to say," Donnie grumbled and continued to pace.

"Hey, the way I see it, you're already married to her. In a spiritual sense, anyway. You're just making it official in legal terms."

Donnie stopped pacing and looked at his brother with a serious expression. "You don't understand. I've dreamt of this moment for years. I want it to be perfect for both me and her."

"It _will_ be perfect, Don," Raph softly told him. "You're stressing way too much over this."

The cyborg took a deep breath and took a seat next to Raph. "Maybe you're right." After a moment of silence, he looked at him with very somber auburn eyes as he gently touched his rose. "I know that Mikey and Splinter are with us in spirit, but...still...I wanted them to be here in person on this special day. It can't be perfect without them."

Raph sighed softly and wrapped his arm around his brother in a comforting hug. "I know, man. I wish my kids could've met their grandfather and knucklehead uncle. All I can do is tell them stories and show them old photographs. But you're not alone anymore; we can miss them together and it won't hurt as much."

Donnie's frown slowly lifted into a grin. "It does hurt less. You know, this is all because you never gave up on us, Raph. You saved our family. If it weren't for you, I never would've met Gaia, and I would've been alone for the rest of my life." With his normal hand, he touched Raph's shoulder and gave it a loving squeeze. "Thank you."

The older brother shook his head. "It was Mikey who saved us. I actually came very close to giving up a few times, but he helped me find the courage to go on. He's the one who brought us back together, not me."

"Speaking of familes, where's Leo? He promised me he'd be at the wedding."

"Leo came, Donnie. He's just...hiding somewhere in the woods." Raph sighed softly and turned his head toward the barn doors. "He still feels ashamed about his past wrongdoings and can't face his friends yet. Well, except Karai. But with a little time and patience and persuasion, we'll get him to-"

"Come out of his shell?" Donnie finished for him with an amused smile. The two brothers stared at each other for a moment before they burst into laughter.

Just then, the doors opened a bit and Casey poked his head in. "Hey, guys, it's about that time," he said with a grin.

Donnie took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before he stood up and brushed the dust and hay off his suit. "Alright. I'm ready."

...

Everyone gathered around the front porch of the farmhouse, which served as the altar, and the support beams and deck railing were decorated with beautiful flowers. The pastor from Ronny's church, Matias Daza, who was also the cook's most trusted friend, had been asked to be the vow master of this unique and secret wedding. He stood next to Donnie, Raph, and Shadow on the porch as they waited for the bride to come out through the front door.

Nearby at the DJ table, Pete pushed a button on a CD player and the instrumental song "Lotus Flower" by Eric Chiryoku began to play. Less than a minute, Gaia stepped out onto the porch and revealed her beautiful form to everyone. Her dress was a snow-white short-sleeved fishtail with a lace neckline. She wore a floral wreath veil and a head circlet that had a diamond star pendant. Her ruby lips sparkled with glitter and the ends of her long dark hair were slightly curled. In her hands was a bouquet of cherry blossoms, white roses, and lilies, all of which were tied together with a purple ribbon.

Donnie couldn't contain his tears at how beautiful his wife-to-be truly was and they managed to spill down his cheeks. Raph smiled proudly at his brother and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Shadow stared at her friend wide-eyed and open-mouthed for a moment before she snapped out of it and gave her a big hug. Gaia handed her the bouquet before taking Donnie's trembling hands, and the music stopped as the two turned to face the pastor.

Matias cleared his throat and began to speak in Spanish. _Damas y caballeros..._ He stopped and chuckled in embrassment. "Sorry. Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Hamato Donatello and Gaia Anastasia Mako in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. Donatello and Gaia, through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life."

At that moment Metalhead came forward with a satin pillow, upon which lay the Rolex watch and wedding ring. He took one step up the deck stairs before he tripped and fell down, dropping the ring and watch in the process. Everyone gasped while Donnie groaned and facepalmed.

Shadow hurried over to the robot and helped him onto the porch. "It's okay, Metalhead," she said softly to him. She placed the pillow back in his hands and patted him on the head before she went back to Raph's side.

Metalhead proudly presented the ring and watch to his adoptive parents and chirped happily. Donnie smiled and nodded in approval and Gaia gave the robot a peck on the forehead.

Matias continued on with vows. "Do you, Donatello, take Gaia to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish her, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

Donnie smiled lovingly at Gaia and looked deep into her eyes as he said, "I do."

The pastor turned to the bride. "Do you, Gaia, take Donatello to be your lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and cherish him, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

Gaia nodded and pressed her lips against Donnie's hand in a tender kiss. "I do."

Donnie took the ring and placed it on her finger. "This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am."

Gaia took the watch and placed it on his right wrist. "This watch is a token of my love. I marry you with this watch, with all that I have and all that I am."

Matias smiled as he placed his hand over the couple's conjoined ones. "By the power vested in me by God and by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Dontello, you may kiss your bride."

The cyborg Turtle leaned in to kiss his lover, but she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in, herself. As they kissed passionately, the crowd clapped and cheered for the newlyweds.

From behind a tree in the woods, a certain mutant Turtle with a blue ninja mask watched the entire ceremony and clapped his hands, too. "Way to go, Donnie," he whispered with a smile.

...

As Tesla's _Love Song_ played on the CD player, Donnie and Gaia engaged in a slow dance with everyone else watching at their tables. At the buffet table, Ronny and Danny cut the cake into slices, but the cook stopped for a moment to nudge the teen.

"Hey, go ask her to dance with you," Ronny whispered and nodded to Shadow, who sat with her parents.

Danny looked at him shocked. "What? No way!"

"Why not?"

"It would be pointless. She'd just say no. Besides, look at me," Danny gestured to his casual clothing. He wore a simple red T-shirt and jeans that had holes in it. "I'm not properly dressed for this occasion."

Ronny just laughed. "Come on, this is Shadow we're talking about. She won't care about your clothes. Go on. Dance with her."

Danny glanced at Shadow and gulped nervously. He was afraid that she would flat-out reject him in front of everyone, even though he deserved it. But this may be his one chance to fix things between them and start over. He wanted to be her boyfriend again, because he felt truly happy with her. When they were together, he didn't feel so alone.

He took a deep breath and put the kitchen knife down on the table. "I'm gonna go ask her to dance with me."

At the O'Neil table, Casey noticed Danny walking toward them and smiled as he got an idea. He leaned over to tap Shadow on the shoulder, and when he got her attention, he whispered, "Hey, don't look now but Danny's coming. Ask him to dance with you."

"What?" Shadow exclaimed with a blush. "No! I don't dance! You know that!"

Casey looked at her confused. "What are you talking about? You were the best ballet dancer in elementary school."

Now Shadow's entire face was beet red. "Dad, please...!" she whispered urgently and pressed a finger against her lips to shush him just as Danny arrived at their table.

Danny smiled bashfully at his ex-girlfriend and rubbed the back of his neck. "H-Hey, Shadow," he nervously said. "Um...how are you doing?"

"Good," Shadow simply said as she glanced down at her plate.

"Good. S-So uh...w-wanna dance?"

She looked up at him in shock. "What?"

"Wanna...dance?" he repeated in a more quiet voice.

Casey couldn't contain his laughter. This was too much. "Well, maybe it's time my little girl showed off her ballet-"

"I'd-love-to-dance!" Shadow cut him off and stood up from her seat, taking Danny's hand and pulling him to where Donnie and Gaia were. Did she just get blackmailed by her own father? Oh, there would be payback later.

April touched her husband and whispered to him, "We'd better go over there and join them so that she won't feel embarassed." When he nodded in agreement, she turned to Karai, who was making faces at the now awake Mikey. "Karai, do you mind watching Mikey for a moment while Casey and I dance?"

"Not at all," Karai replied with a smile and nod.

Shadow felt her cheeks getting hot when Danny put his hand on her waist and held her hand with the other. When she looked up at him, his forehead was wet with beads of sweat and his own cheeks were flushed, and she could feel his fast heartbeat in his fingers. She couldn't help but giggle. "You've never danced with a girl before, have you?"

He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "N-No. You're my first."

April and Casey joined in and all three couples slowly danced to the music. From the buffet table, Ronny smiled to himself in victory and watched the youngest couple move together in harmony.

 _ **So you think that it's over**_

 _ **Say your love has finally reached the end**_

 _ **Any time you call, night or day**_

 _ **I'll be right there for you if you need a friend**_

 _ **It's gonna take a little time**_

 _ **Time is sure to mend your broken heart**_

 _ **But don't you even worry, pretty darling**_

 _ **'Cause I know you'll find love again**_

 _ **Yeah, love is all around you**_

 _ **Love is knockin' outside your door**_

 _ **Waiting for you is this love made just for two**_

 _ **Keep an open heart and you'll find love again, I know**_

 _ **Love is all around you, yeah**_

 _ **Love is knockin' outside your door**_

 _ **Waiting for you is this love made just for two**_

 _ **Keep an open heart and you'll find love again, I know**_

Raph sat next to Mona under the tree and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his plastron. He cradled Sandy with his other arm and the baby Turtle was nibbling on the ends of his tattered mask. Gio and Angel continued to nap in Mona's lap while David tried to grab the ladybugs in the grass.

Donnie and Gaia looked so much in love as they danced gracefully. At one of the tables, Rockwell handed Timothy a piece of cake, and the moment the human took the first bite, a tear escaped his normal eye. It was the first time in years that he tasted something so delicious and sweet. At another table, Slash and Monda were laughing at some kind of joke that the gecko just told. The normally tough and cool Karai cooed at baby Mikey in his carriage. April and Casey watched with pride as their daughter danced with her first crush.

 _ **Love will find a way**_

 _ **Darlin', love is gonna find a way**_

 _ **Find its way back to you**_

 _ **Love will find a way**_

 _ **So look around, open your eyes**_

 _ **Love is gonna find a way**_

Raph closed his eye and smiled blissfully to himself as he basked in all the love around him. Everything was so perfect. Everyone was so happy.

But then the smile suddenly dropped.

Well, almost everyone.

...

Leo could hear the music playing at the farmhouse, but he chose to seclude himself within the woods and sat on a log all by himself, with nothing but the hidden critters and crawlers as his companions. He idly traced the snake tattoo that was still on his plastron with finger for nearly an hour. On his left hand was a stump that used to be his thumb before Alopex cut it off.

He could imagine the happy looks on everyone's faces as they danced and visited with each other, and he wished that he could be a part of that. But he couldn't. Not yet.

Just then he heard the bushes rustle behind him and swifted turned his head in alarm.

"Leo?" Raph stepped out from behind a tree and was holding a plate with a piece of wedding cake and a fork on it. The one-eyed smiled sadly at his brother as he walked toward him. "I saved you a piece."

Leo glanced at the cake then somberly shook his head. "No thanks. I'm not hungry. Just...go back to the party, Raph."

He heard his brother sigh softly, but then he felt the log shift slightly as the other Turtle sat down next to him.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, man," Raph said. "You need to have fun every once in a while. It's good for your body and mind."

Leo shook his head again. "You don't need to worry about me, Raph. I'm fine."

Raph just gave him a skeptical look.

"Really, I'm fine. I just need some time and space to, you know, think things over."

A mouse suddenly appeared and slowly approached the two, staring at Raph's cake with hungry beady eyes. Raph smiled and set the plate down on the ground. The mouse happily accepted his gift and engorged itself with the delicious dessert. It stopped for a moment to squeak a few times and seconds later even more mice popped out of the bushes and joined in on the feast.

Raph chuckled and stood up from the log. "Well, take all the time you need, but just remember, your family will always be there waiting for you." He placed a gentle hand on Leo's shoulder. "And you already know that I got your back, bro. Always." Then he turned and walked away.

Leo watched as Raph headed back to the party then turned his attention back to the mice. One of them stopped eating and looked up at him, its whiskers and nose covered in white frosting. The Turtle chuckled softly at the cute sight, forgetting his inner struggle and sadness for a moment.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a large black snake struck at that particular mouse and had a tight grip on its head. The other mice immedately fled and left its comrade to die alone. Leo watched in horror and disgust as the snake slowly gobbled down the poor creature until it disappeared down its throat. The snake stayed very still and stared up at the Turtle for what felt like an eternity before it slithered away into the woods.

Leo felt sick to his stomach and buried his face in his hands.

 **Huge thanks to BrightLotusMoon for allowing me to use her character Gaia!**


	53. Precognition

**NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later**

 ** _Four days later..._**

"You nervous?" April softly asked her daughter, who stood in front of her mirror in her mother's old kunoichi outfit, which fitted her perfectly.

Shadow glanced back at her mother with a lopsided grin. "Nah. I'm excited."

"Well, you should be," April stroked Shadow's short hair and kissed the top of her head. "Tonight is a very big night for you."

"Were _you_ nervous? At your kunioichi graduation, I mean?"

"Oh, yeah. It felt like my heart was going to burst through my chest 'cause it was beating so fast. But by the time it was finished, I felt great."

"Question: do I have to speak any Japanese at all like you did? 'Cause I suck at it."

April chuckled and shook her head. "Don't worry, I've already talked to Raph about that. He'll only speak in English."

"That's a relief, 'cause I really don't want to embarrass myself tonight."

"Sweetie, it's okay. You'll be among friends and family." She carassed Shadow's face and smiled warmly. "Just be yourself. And who you are is amazing. And wonderful. And beautiful." She then pulled her into a tight embrace and her eyes started to water as she rested her chin on her daughter's shoulder. "Oh, my baby...look at you now. You've grown into a strong, beautiful woman, and your father and I couldn't be more proud."

Shadow smiled to herself and affectionately rubbed her head against her mother's. "Thanks, Mom."

Just then there was a knock on the door and they heard Casey say, "You girls decent?"

"Yes, hon," April laughed. "You can come in."

The door opened and Shadow couldn't believe what she was seeing: her father, Casey Jones, was actually wearing a suit and necktie. "Oh my gosh...Dad...?"

Casey held baby Mikey in his arms and smirked at Shadow's reaction. "Hey, it's a special night."

"Well, thanks, but, it's not _that_ special."

He walked over to his daughter and playfully ruffled her hair. "It is to me," he said softly. He then turned to his wife. "Anyway, Raph just texted me. Everyone's there waiting for her to arrive."

April nodded and took Shadow's hand. "Well, Shadow, it's time."

...

The dojo was quite crowded with friends and family attending the initiation. Slash, Gaia, Mona, April, Casey, and even Chompy watched as Shadow knelt before Raph in the middle of the room, with Donnie, Karai, and Leo kneeling behind her in a row. Lying on the floor between Raph and Shadow was a sheathed katana, the tsuba of which had the Hamato symbol engraved on it.

Raph cleared his throat before he began the ceremony. "Shadow Jones, as your sensei and the master of the Hamato Clan, I am pleased to announce that you have completed your training. I think we all can agree that you are finally ready to graduate as a kunoichi." His brothers and sister all nodded in agreement. He reached across the floor to grab the katana and gingerly held it in his hands. "This sword has been in our family for generations and I would be honored to pass it on to you. You've earned it, kid."

Shadow held her breath when he handed it to her and she accepted it with trembling hands. She gave him a quick bow before she unsheathed the sword and stared at her reflection off its blade. She finally made it.

"Shadow Jones, you are now a kunoichi in the Hamato Clan," Raph announced with a proud smile.

The moment he said those words, everyone else in the room cheered and applauded for the new graduate.

Raph bowed to her and she bowed to him, then she suddenly grabbed her uncle in a big hug, which he returned with a laugh. She stood back up and bowed to Karai and the two other Hamato brothers. Finally, she walked over to the shrine and bowed in respect to the late Michelangelo and Splinter.

She jumped when she suddenly felt Chompy giving her a slobbery kiss on the cheek. The teen giggled as she wrapped her arms around the space turtle's neck.

Raph smiled fondly at the two then turned to his brothers. "So...how'd I do? Was I rusty?"

"You did great, Raph," Donnie said as he patted his brother on the shoulder.

"Mikey and Splinter would be proud," Leo said with a grin.

Mona walked up to Raph, closed her eyes, and leaned in for a nuzzle. The one-eyed Turtle smiled lovingly at his lady and pressed his beak against her nose.

When Donnie saw that Casey, the former hockey vigilante, was wearing a suit, he began to laugh. "Well, well, the rebel Casey Jones in a suit, when you wouldn't wear one even at my wedding."

Casey chuckled and crossed his arms. "At least I didn't look like the Joker that day."

The smile on Donnie's face dropped. "What?! I did _not_ look like the Joker!"

"Actually, you kinda did," Raph said with a shrug. "With your purple tuxedo and flower."

Donnie just shot his brother an indignant look.

Slash fist pumped Shadow in congratulations and Gaia gave her a hug. "You did it, kiddo," the giant turtle told her with a grin. "Congratulations. How does it feel?"

"Awesome," Shadow said excitedly. "Words can't even describe what I'm feeling right now."

Gaia suddenly put her hand on Shadow's shoulder and smiled as she felt the joyous energy flowing from the teenager's body into her own. "No, but I can imagine," she joked.

"Gaia, if you don't mind me asking," April walked up to her with baby Mikey in her arms, "have you and Donnie thought about starting a family now that you're married?"

"We've talked about it," Gaia said softly. "But we feel that we should adopt instead of having children the natural way. Being half mutant and half human could make our child feel insecure and confused about himself."

"I don't think it would matter, Gaia," Shadow said. "I mean, when I found out that I was adopted _and_ a clone, it really scared and devastated me. But then I realized that none of that mattered because I've got a family that loves me for who I am. As long as you two love your kid, he'll turn out just fine. I know he will."

Gaia smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. "You're absolutely right, honey."

...

Later that night, in the babies' bedroom, Raph hummed a lullaby to Sandy and Angel as he gently rocked them in his arms. Once he was sure that they were both asleep, he placed them in their individual baskets next to Gio and David.

On a nearby table next to a burning candle was a frame that had a photo of the Hamato brothers when they were children, and standing behind them tall and proud was Splinter. Raph smiled to himself as looked at that picture, finding it hard to believe that he was now a father, himself, and that he was also the master of the clan.

"Awww, they're so cute when they're sleeping."

Raph turned to see Mikey standing over the sleeping babies, who of course, couldn't hear him. The freckled Turtle glanced up at Raph and smiled brightly. "I still can't believe that you're a daddy, dude."

The older Turtle chuckled and shook his head. "Believe me, neither can I," he whispered.

"This family just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I heard that Donnie and Gaia are thinking about having a kid, too. That would be so cool! A half Turtle, half human baby!"

Raph smirked and blew out the candle. "We'll see, little brother. Anyway, I gotta go. Patrol night."

"Oooh, fun," Mikey said sarcastically. "Say hi to Shadow for me."

"Will do." Raph tiptoed to the door and slowly closed it behind him. In the living room, Chompy snored loudly as he slept in front of the TV. He was out like a light and didn't hear Raph sneak past him.

* * *

Shadow let out a big yawn as she sat on a rooftop ledge, from which she watched for any signs of trouble in the city. Patrols were always so boring but necessary, she would tell herself every night, but since the Foot were now on the side of justice, there were no other hardcore criminals to fight.

Suddenly she felt something ice cold on her cheek and yelped.

Raph chuckled as he pulled the soda can away from her face. "You awake now?"

She punched him on the plastron and snatched the drink from him. "Jerk," she growled.

"Now is that any way to talk to your master, my kunoichi?" he jokingly asked as he sat down next to her and opened his can.

She scoffed and opened hers. "Whatever."

They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their drinks and watching over the blinking concrete jungle that never slept. Finally, Raph spoke softly, "Well, you finally made it, kid. I akways knew you would."

"So you never doubted?" Shadow asked as she looked at him. "Not even once?"

"Nope." He rustled her hair and smiled at her warmly. "Always had faith in you."

"Well, I never would've made it this far without you. You've been at my side all the way, even in another dimension," she added with a giggle.

"Of course I'll be there for you, kid, no matter what."

Shadow took another gulp of her soda then said softly, "Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"What would I do if I lost you? I mean, if something bad happened to you and I'm left alone?"

"Oh," Raph whispered, then he spoke louder in a soothing voice. "I'm not going anywhere, Shadow, and even if I did, you wouldn't be alone. You've got your Mom and Dad, and Donnie and Gaia, and the Mutanimals. They all got your back."

"Yeah, but," she leaned her head on his shoulder, "none of them understand me like you do. You knew my anger better than anyone else and taught me how to control it. My own parents almost gave up on me but you didn't. And you always know what to say whenever I'm feeling down or having doubts about myself. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you're the best friend I've ever had."

Needless to say, Raph was touched by the teen's words and he wrapped an arm around her in a hug. "So are you." Then he cried out and pulled away when he felt a cold can on his cheek.

Shadow laughed at him. "You let your guard down, _Master_ Raphael."

Raph chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, I guess I did."

...

From the rooftop of another building several blocks down from Raph's, Donnie and Leo stared down at the streets, which were empty and quiet.

Donnie yawned and looked at the time on his Rolex watch. "It's already 2:00 in the morning. Looks like I'll be sleeping 'til noon again."

Leo also yawned, feeling just as tired as his brother. "Same here."

"As boring as this is, I'm glad that I'm doing with you again," Donnie smiled tiredly at him. "Just like the good old days. I really missed you, Leo."

Leo smiled back. "I missed you, too, Donnie. I'm sorry I ever left."

Donnie chuckled. "Leo, you've apologized like thirty times already."

The eldest brother somberly shook his head. "I could never apologize to you guys enough. What I did was-"

"Leo, Bro, it's cool. We've learned to let it go and so should you. We're just happy to have you back in the family." Just then the phone in his phone began to ring. "Excuse me for a sec," he told Leo as walked away to answer it. "Hello?"

 _Honey._

Donnie's auburn eyes widened at the sound of his wife's voice. Why was she calling him this late? She sounded troubled. "Gaia? What's wrong?"

 _I just woke up from this dream. I-I know it sounds stupid, but...it felt so real, like a precognition._

At those words, Donnie's heart immediately filled with dread. Sometimes Gaia would have precognitive dreams or visions of future disasters that nobody could prevent, and every single one of them so far had come true. "What did you dream about, Gaia?"

He heard her release a shaky sigh before she spoke. _Leo was wearing his Serpent getup again, and he was confronting the police. He charged at them and then...oh, god...they...they shot him. They killed him._

He almost dropped the phone in horror as he listened to her description of this dream. Several months ago, he had the exact same dream. He watched as Leo committed suicide by cop, and he knelt over his brother's bullet-riddled body, weeping for him.

 _Listen to me, Donnie,_ Gaia urgently told him. _You need to get Leo back home_ now _. I have a really bad feeling about this._

"Y-Yeah," he nodded. "Me, too." He hung up and swiftly turned to face his brother, who was still standing at the ledge and keeping watch. But something was on his shell: a tiny red dot.

Donnie's heart skipped a beat when he realized that it was the red dot sight of a firearm.

He dropped his phone and sprinted toward his brother. "LEO!"

Leo turned around shocked and opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a grunt as his brother pushed him away from the ledge. Just as he landed to the floor, a bullet hit Donnie's left shoulder, which, unfortunately, was still flesh. The genius Turtle cried out in pain as he gripped his wound and dropped to his knees.

...

Raph became rigid as he picked up the faint sound of a firearm going off. He dropped his now empty can and stood up. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Shadow looked up at him puzzled and shook her head. "N-No. What is it?"

...

"DONNIE!" Leo screamed as he rushed to his wounded brother.

Donnie looked in the direction of the bullet and used his night vision implants to locate the shooter. Standing on top of the water tower about a mile away was a man dressed in black from head to toe and wearing a bullet proof vest. In his hands was a sniper rifle, and he pulled what appeared to be a combat radio out of his pocket and spoke into it.

Seconds later, the two Turtles heard a helicopter and in the distance a white light was heading straight toward them.

...

"Uncle Raph...?" Shadow pointed to the light that was heading in Leo and Donnie's direction.

Raph's face blanched. "No..." he said softly to himself.

...

Donnie immedatiely knew who they were. "Go!" he yelled as he shoved Leo away. "Get out of here!"

Of course Leo refused and firmly shook his head. "No! I won't!" He grabbed his brother's arm and tried to pull him up.

But then Donnie suddenly punched him in the pastron and sent him flying right over the ledge. The cyborg knew that there was an opened dumpster below and would cushion his brother's fall, and sure enough, Leo landed right into it.

The helicopter hovered over the building and shined it light down on Donnie then Leo, and without warning it fired its built-in machine guns at the dumpster. Leo jumped out in time and narrowly dodged the bullets that rain down on him. He disappeared into the shadows, but Donnie remained where he was and in plain sight.

As the helicopter continued to search for Leo, several SWAT officers barged in through the front entrance of the building. Donnie immediately ran to his T-phone that was lying on the ground and with one punch he crushed it completely. The men kicked the rooftop door open and pointed their guns at him.

"Freeze!" one of them shouted. "Hands behind your head now!"

He could only manage to lift his robotic arm as his left shoulder was wounded and he placed his hand behind his head. They surround him and two of them pinned him to the floor.

One of them noticed the smashed T-phone and kicked Donnie's side. "Hey, what's that on the floor?" he demanded. "What did you just smash?"

Donnie didn't answer and just smiled to himself. At least they wouldn't be able to track Leo or Raph down now that the T-phone was broken.

...

Leo stopped running in an alley and once he was sure that he was safe, he screamed in frustration and kicked a trash can.

They were waiting for him to come out into the open again so that they could finally shoot him down. He feared that they would torture Donnie for answers, and knowing his brother, he'd die before giving his family up.

This wasn't supposed to happen, but he wasn't exactly surprised that it did. As long as he lived, as long as the Serpent lived, his family would never be safe.

"Leo!"

Said Turtle slowly turned to face Raph and Shadow, who were running down the alley.

"Leo, what happened?!" Raph yelled in panic as he grabbed Leo by the shoulders. "Where's Donnie?!"

Tears started to well up in Leo's eyes and he hung his head in shame. "It's my fault," he said in a choked up whisper. "It's my fault."


End file.
